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The UAE continues to consolidate its position as an inspiring model and beacon of humanitarian and charitable work in the world, in loyalty to the authentic humanitarian approach whose foundations were laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul, and which included various areas of life, most notably supporting the health sector in sisterly and friendly countries.
The UAE leadership realizes that human health is the foundation of the renaissance and prosperity of societies. Based on this, it is keen to launch qualitative initiatives that translate the UAE’s noble message and its efforts to instill hope in the hearts of those suffering from illness and support them during their recovery journey. Therefore, the state pays great attention to extending a helping hand to support the health sector in various countries of the world. This assistance expresses the deep belief that health care is a basic right that must be available to all people.
The UAE shows great interest in supporting the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, represented by its institutions, which are keen to provide support to it in order to continue its humanitarian role.
This appreciation for the humanitarian role of the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation is in line with the new support provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives worth AED 220 million to contribute to the completion of the medical building complex for the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, bringing the total support provided to the Foundation to approximately AED 320 million.
The world-renowned Egyptian heart surgeon, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, the “Prince of Hearts,” is highly regarded in the UAE. In 2020, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, awarded him the Mohammed bin Rashid Humanitarian Sash for his charitable and humanitarian efforts and his medical and scientific achievements that have given hope and life to millions of patients around the world over more than 50 years of giving.
2024 witnessed the fifth edition of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity honoring Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, in recognition of his efforts in enabling life-saving medical care for those most in need, including the most vulnerable segments of society, as he helped save thousands of lives, especially children.
– Humanitarian Year Project
For the first time, the 2020 Hope Makers ceremony adopted the support of a humanitarian project to be the Arab Humanitarian Year Project, and the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre project in Cairo was chosen, with the aim of the ceremony creating new hope for thousands of hearts in need of care, and establishing a culture of humanitarian work by uniting the efforts of the largest number of people to support an Arab project with a shared humanitarian value.
The ceremony witnessed contributions from businessmen and companies in the UAE to support the establishment and equipping of the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, raising an amount of 88 million dirhams.
The new center in Cairo, which was supported by the Hope Makers Initiative under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, will provide free medical services to treat 132,000 patients from Egypt and abroad annually, in addition to performing 12,000 heart surgeries for children and the elderly annually, free of charge. Upon completion, it will be the largest medical institution specializing in heart diseases, research and surgeries in the Arab world. The center will provide advanced research in the field of heart diseases and train more than 1,750 health professionals.
Fully equipped unit for catheterization surgeries
Last year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, directed the establishment of the “Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Cardiac Catheterization Unit” for children and underprivileged patients from all over the Arab world, in addition to providing training in cardiac catheterization surgeries at the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Center in Cairo.
The Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Catheterization Unit will be fully equipped to provide advanced treatment services around the clock, free of charge. It will include the latest operating room equipment that relies on medical technology applications and robotic surgery to perform 9,000 catheterizations for children and patients.
The unit begins training and qualifying surgeons and doctors specializing in heart surgeries, diseases, and related health conditions, to graduate 1,750 trainees annually within its training programs, who contribute to meeting the urgent need in the Arab region for this specialty, especially since heart and blood vessel diseases are among the main causes of death in the Arab world, according to the World Health Organization.
The Sheikha Latifa Bint Hamdan Cardiac Catheterization Unit will be ideally located within the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, the largest charitable heart centre in the Arab world, both on the logistical level to receive children and patients from all Arab countries, and on the technical level, as it is located within the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, which specialises in treating heart and blood vessel patients, especially children.
The Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan Cardiac Catheterization Unit will contribute to bridging a wide gap in healthcare options, treatments and advanced surgical interventions that are not available to large segments of patients, especially children, and to improving healthcare that includes everyone. The center supports advanced healthcare solutions in the Arab world and contributes to preparing qualified medical competencies in cardiac specialties, research and techniques, which will improve the indicators of healthcare efficiency in the Arab world and enhance its inclusion of broader societal and age groups, especially in the field of heart diseases.
At the beginning of this year, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation signed a cooperation agreement with the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, with the aim of supporting and financing the costs of heart disease surgeries.
This step comes within the framework of the two institutions’ commitment to providing medical and health support to patients, alleviating their burden, and enhancing joint efforts to combat heart diseases and improve patient care.
Under the agreement, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation will provide financial support to cover healthcare costs and perform free surgeries for heart patients receiving treatment at the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation.
