Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah is a Saudi pediatric surgeon. He has filled a number of supervisory and advisory roles in Saudi Arabia, including Minister of Health, Advisor to the Royal Court, and Supervisor General of the international aid agency
KSrelief.
Early life and education
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah was born in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
, Saudi Arabia, on 23 February 1955.
[BIOGRAPHY](_blank)
/ref>
Al Rabeeah attended King Saud University
King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...
, Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
where he obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degrees in July 1979. He interned in August 1980 at King Khalid University hospital, Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
. In 1981, Al Rabeeah was formally licensed to practice medicine. He studied at the University of Alberta Hospital
The University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) is a research and teaching hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Alberta and run by Alberta Health Services, the health authority for Alberta. It is one ...
, Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
(1985) and IWK Hospital for Children, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
(1987) where he completed Fellowships in General and Pediatric Surgery
Pediatric surgery is a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
History
Pediatric surgery arose in the middle of the 1879 century as the surgical care of birth defects requ ...
, respectively.
Career
Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah currently serves as the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (known as KSrelief), headquartered in Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
.
He also concurrently holds the position of Advisor to the Royal Court. KSrelief was inaugurated on 13 May 2015 by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...
; its purpose is to serve both as an aid-monitoring organization and as a direct provider for Saudi humanitarian aid and relief being administered worldwide.
When Al Rabeeah began KSrelief, he recognized that the organization's mandate was unlike anything previously seen in the Kingdom. Starting with fewer than 50 employees, today the center's numbers have reached 195 and KSrelief has accomplished a great deal in terms of humanitarian aid and relief worldwide. As Supervisor General, Al Rabeeah's role is to steer international efforts to provide impartial, objective aid outside of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
to those in need. Working both unilaterally and with an impressive list of humanitarian and governmental partners, as of January 2017 Al Rabeeah has oversee
176 aid and relief projects in 37 countries
Major focuses of the projects include food security, health, water and sanitation, education, women and children, vaccination and shelter. The centre is also working on instituting both a volunteer programme and a humanitarian research centre.
When asked about his devotion to humanitarian causes, Al Rabeeah gives all the credit to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, saying, "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...
's, guidelines stress that our centre shall perform its duties in an unbiased way, based solely upon need and regardless to any other considerations." The centre is also to abide by approved international rules and widely-accepted humanitarian concepts.
Throughout the course of his career, Al Rabeeah has held many positions of authority, achieving a successful balance between his duties as administrator, politician and physician to the benefit of all. His dedication to public service as his primary goal allows him to carry out diverse duties with a singular focus on serving his country and humanity.
Previous positions
Due to Al Rabeeah's success in his various roles, the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود ''ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd'', Najdi Arabic pronunciation: ; 1 August 1924 – 23 January 2015) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi A ...
chose him to take on the key and challenging position of Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al Rabeeah readily accepted the position and was appointed as such on 14 February 2009.
Some of his notable successes during his tenure as Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
are:
* Launched the Integrated and Comprehensive Healthcare Plan. The implementation of the ICHCP had a significant impact on reforming the Kingdom's entire health care sector, with the goal of providing the highest possible standard of care for all.
* Established new hospitals (79) and Primary Health Care Centres (824) as well as upgrading many existing health facilities.
* The approval of building 5 Medical Cities North, South, East and West (Quaternary Level) as part of the ICHCP by Royal Decree. Budget allocated for the cities amounted to US$3.7 billion, which made Saudi MoH one of the largest investors in the Middle East.
* Electronic Medical Referral System ''Ehalati''. The medical referral is the process of directing or redirecting the patient to the optimal level, usually from the lower potential levels to the greatest potential ones.
* One-Day Surgery programme to optimize Operating Room resources and help alleviate hospital bed shortages.
* Home Health Care Programme.
* Implementation of immediate reporting of all Sentinel Events via text and dashboard, report and follow-up.
* Centralized database for medication use by clinical and medical staff to record medication side effects and contra-indications to minimize medical errors. (Micromedex).
* Connectivity of National IT Services for all medical facilities.
* Patient Rights and Relations Program.
* Visiting Professorship Program to serve remote areas.
* Electronic Citizens Voice (public comments related to Health sector).
* Assistant Deputy Minister Department for Health Economy and Investment.
* PPP (Private Public Partnership) for government health investment (SEHA).
* National and International Accreditation for health facilities.
* National Health Information Centre.
* Unified payroll for medical and clinical staff to ensure fairness.
* Implemented Incentive Bonus System based on physician performance.
* Appointed the first woman in the history of the MoH to the level of Assistant Deputy Minister for Medical Services.
* Hajj - MoH: Improved Hajj Medical Services to ensure further safety of the Pilgrims as well as implementing the Mass Gathering Concept ( Jeddah Declaration) as endorsed by the World Health Organization. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now considered a world-renowned authority on Mass Gatherings, and is a resource for research and reference in this area.
** Providing specialized services for life-threatening cases such as open-heart surgeries, by-passes and other serious cardiac ailments, as well as ongoing provision of regular medical services as necessary.
** Implemented the highest-efficiency international and national surveillance systems and expertise to minimize infectious diseases during Hajj season.
Al Rabeeah served as Minister of Health until 21 April 2014.
Other significant projects launched during Al Rabeeah's career
* Ministry of National Guard (National Guard Health Affairs
The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA) is a government-funded health system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, founded in 1983. It is affiliated with the Ministry of National Guard and the Saudi Arabian National Guard, consisting of ...
)
** (KSAU-HS)
** King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital
** King Abdulaziz Cardiac Centre
** Trauma Surgical Tower (Sulaiman Al Rajhi Centre)
** King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre
* King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Establishing and commissioning of major projects and Centres of Excellence both in Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
and Jeddah, especially
** King Abdullah Centre for Cancer and Liver Diseases for Children.
** King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah.
Conjoined twins
As a pediatric surgeon, Al Rabeeah is passionate about his chosen specialty, and throughout his various appointments has continued to perform separations of conjoined twins. He performed his first separation of female Saudi conjoined twins at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh in December 1990, as well as a further three. Since 1996, Al Rabeeah and the Saudi National Team have reviewed 99 cases and performed 42 successful separations of conjoined twins from 19 countries. 38 of these surgeries were carried out at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City
King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, was established by a royal decree in May 1983. With a bed capacity of 690 beds, it provides all types of care to all National Guard soldiers and their families, starting from ...
, Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
. All separations have been fully sponsored by the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
One of the most complex cases that Al Rabeeah undertook was at the request of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, عبدالله بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود ''ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd'', Najdi Arabic pronunciation: ; 1 August 1924 – 23 January 2015) was King and Prime Minister of Saudi A ...
concerning Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n conjoined twins, Ahmed and Mohammed. The parents pleaded to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to help them. Accepting the challenge, Al Rabeeah agreed to the late King Abdullah's request and performed the surgery on the twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
in September 2002. The numerous surgical phases took 23.5 hours and resulted in a successful separation of the boys. To this date, Al Rabeeah considers this one of the most difficult, but also as one of his proudest accomplishments as a surgeon.
Initially, the conjoined twins team consisted of only 10% Saudis, today it boasts all Saudi members in the different specialties.
Based on his knowledge and commitment to these special babies, Al Rabeeah has written a book in Arabic entitled ''My Experience with Conjoined Twins''; this book has been abridged in English (4 editions). He has published three additional books, and authored entries in 103 scientific/medical/abstract publications.
Al Rabeeah is one of the founding members of the Riyadh Pediatric Surgery Club (1993), and holds the position of Chairman to this day. The Club now has more than 200 members.
Other Positions Held
* 1992 – present: Head of the Surgical and Multidisciplinary Team for the Saudi National Conjoined Twins Programme
* May 2011: President of the Executive Board of the Arab Health Ministers' Council
* August 2010: Chairman of the Board of Directors, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
* 2003 – 2009: Chief Executive Officer of National Guard Health Affairs
The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA) is a government-funded health system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, founded in 1983. It is affiliated with the Ministry of National Guard and the Saudi Arabian National Guard, consisting of ...
* 2005 – 2009: President of
* 2009 – 2016: Member of the Board of Trustees, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST; ar, جامعة الملك عبد الله للعلوم و التقنية ') is a private research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2009, the university provid ...
* Chairman, Co-Chair, and Honorary Member with many Executive Committees in the Royal Cabinet, Ministry of Health, Saudi Council for Health Specialties and other Government Agencies and Universities
* Chairman of the Riyadh Pediatric Surgery Club
* Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Saudi Council for Health Specialties
* Chairman, The National Health Insurance Council
Personal life
Al Rabeeah is the father of eight children - seven girls (including a set of identical twins), and one boy. His son, Khalid, followed in his footsteps and is a medical consultant specializing in urology
Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...
; Khalid also began his career by studying at King Saud University
King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...
and completing his Fellowship in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Abdullah Al Rabeeah is known for maintaining good relations with the people around him. He still stays in touch with patients and their families, many of whom have acknowledged and praised his extraordinary contribution and impact upon their lives.
Recognitions
* November 2016, Humanitarian Award from the Gulf Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, interg ...
(GCC) – Regional Network for Social Responsibility (member of United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses and firms worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation. The UN Global Compact is a princi ...
) – Kingdom of Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ad ...
.
* May 2015, Honour Award for Unique Contribution to Health Care, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 18th Graduation Ceremony for Unique Contributions.
* December 2012, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences for Outstanding Medical Personalities in the Arab World.
* February 2011, Fellowship through Distinction from the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom.
* April 2011, Mary Kingsley Medal – (Highest Honours Award) from the Liverpool of Tropical Medicine.
* May 2011, First Class Distinction Award from Al Imam Muhammed bin Saud Islamic University.
* March 2010, Recognition by Arabian Business Magazine as being the 45th Most Influential Arab.
* January 2008, Meritorious Award - The General Board of Polish Medical Doctors Association.
* August 2005, Medal of Merit, Commander Class from the President of Poland
The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Pola ...
.
* November 2003, the King Abdulaziz Excellence Degree Medal.
* November 2002, King Abdulaziz First Degree Medal.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabeeah, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
1954 births
Living people
King Saud University alumni
King Khalid University alumni
University of Alberta alumni
Dalhousie University alumni
Academic staff of King Saud University
Saudi Arabian pediatric surgeons
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
People from Riyadh
Heads of universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia
21st-century Saudi Arabian politicians