KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award
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KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) Organ Transplant Center of Excellence (OTCoE) has received the Innovation Award in the Regional Institute Category at the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW) 2025, in recognition of its pioneering contributions to transplant innovation and regional impact on patient care. Consultant of Transplant, Hepatobiliary, and Pancreatic Surgery Dr. Yasser Al Nemary accepted the award on behalf of OTCoE during the ADGHW ceremony held at the ADNEC Center in Abu Dhabi.
Since 2011, OTCoE has performed more than 6,600 organ transplants, including kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas procedures, reaching a record high with 1,096 organ transplants. It has also achieved several surgical firsts, including the world's first fully robotic liver transplant and the region's first robotic pancreas transplant performed on a type 1 diabetes patient, SPA reported.
With over 5,000 kidney transplants completed and 500 successful paired kidney exchanges under its pioneering Kidney Paired Donation Program, OTCoE is a regional and global reference for multidisciplinary collaboration and patient-centered innovation.
"This award affirms our drive to transform organ transplant through innovation and precision, powered by a team relentlessly committed to advancing patient care," said OTCoE Executive Director Dr. Dieter Broering.
The ADGHW Innovation Awards celebrate transformative achievements in healthcare, spotlighting institutions that improve patient outcomes, expand access, and drive progress through innovation.
For the third consecutive year, KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world's top 250 Academic Medical Centers. According to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings, it is recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East. Additionally, it was included in Newsweek magazine's World's Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025.



Saudi National Center for Wildlife, Soudah Development Company Release Birds of Prey

The release comes as part of reintroduction programs aimed at enhancing ecological balance and restoring biodiversity in one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones - SPA
The release comes as part of reintroduction programs aimed at enhancing ecological balance and restoring biodiversity in one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones - SPA
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Saudi National Center for Wildlife, Soudah Development Company Release Birds of Prey

The release comes as part of reintroduction programs aimed at enhancing ecological balance and restoring biodiversity in one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones - SPA
The release comes as part of reintroduction programs aimed at enhancing ecological balance and restoring biodiversity in one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones - SPA

Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in cooperation with Soudah Development Company, has released a number of birds of prey in Al-Soudah Park, including three griffon vultures, a black kite, an Arabian scops owl, and an Eurasian sparrowhawk, after rehabilitating them at shelter centers.

 

The release comes as part of reintroduction programs aimed at enhancing ecological balance and restoring biodiversity in one of the Kingdom’s most prominent mountainous environmental zones, SPA reported.

This release followed the completion of rehabilitation and environmental acclimatization stages to ensure the birds’ readiness and ability to adapt to the nature of the area, contributing to the stability of local species and boosting their ecological roles within mountain ecosystems, particularly in regulating food chains and preserving the health of natural habitats.

The NCW noted that this step falls within its ongoing programs to breed and reintroduce threatened wildlife species, rehabilitate ecosystems, and enrich biodiversity across various regions of the Kingdom, in cooperation with national partners and in line with the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and the National Environment Strategy, which support the environmental development goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.

Specialized teams will continue to monitor the released birds and track their movements and ecological behavior using dedicated tools and technologies, supporting the evaluation of the program’s success and the improvement of its outcomes in the future in accordance with the best global environmental practices.


Ariane 6 Lifts Off with 2 European Navigation Satellites

The European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 6 rocket carrying two Galileo satellites for the the EU's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) launches at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, on the French overseas department of Guiana, on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Ronan LIETAR / AFP)
The European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 6 rocket carrying two Galileo satellites for the the EU's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) launches at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, on the French overseas department of Guiana, on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Ronan LIETAR / AFP)
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Ariane 6 Lifts Off with 2 European Navigation Satellites

The European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 6 rocket carrying two Galileo satellites for the the EU's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) launches at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, on the French overseas department of Guiana, on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Ronan LIETAR / AFP)
The European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 6 rocket carrying two Galileo satellites for the the EU's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) launches at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, on the French overseas department of Guiana, on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Ronan LIETAR / AFP)

A European Ariane 6 rocket blasted off from France's Kourou space base in French Guiana early Wednesday, carrying two Galileo global navigation satellites, according to an AFP correspondent.

Lift-off was at 2:01 am local time (0501 GMT) for the fourth commercial flight of the Ariane 6 launch system since the expendable rockets came into service last year.

The rocket was carrying two more satellites of the European Union's Galileo program, a global navigation satellite system that aims to make the bloc less dependent on the US's Global Positioning System (GPS).

The two satellites were set to be placed in orbit nearly four hours after lift-off.

They will bring to 34 the number of Galileo satellites in orbit and "will improve the robustness of the Galileo system by adding spares to the constellation to guarantee the system can provide 24/7 navigation to billions of users. The satellites will join the constellation in medium Earth orbit 23, 222 km (14,429 miles) above Earth’s surface," according to the European Space Agency (ESA) which oversees the program.

Previous Galileo satellites were primarily launched by Ariane 5 and Russian Soyuz rockets from Kourou.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe halted space cooperation with Moscow.

Before the Ariane 6 rocket entered into service in July 2024, the EU contracted with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch two Galileo satellites aboard Falcon 9 rockets in September 2024 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.


Delhi Restricts Vehicles, Office Attendance in Bid to Curb Pollution

Children ride a bicycle across a field on smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
Children ride a bicycle across a field on smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
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Delhi Restricts Vehicles, Office Attendance in Bid to Curb Pollution

Children ride a bicycle across a field on smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
Children ride a bicycle across a field on smoggy winter morning in New Delhi on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Authorities in India's capital Delhi rolled out strict measures on Wednesday in an attempt to curb pollution, including a ban on vehicles not compliant with latest emission control norms and regulating attendance in private and government offices.

The air quality index (AQI) in the Delhi region, home to 30 million people, has been in the 'severe' category for the past few days, often crossing the 450-mark. In addition, shallow fog in parts of the city worsened visibility that impacted flights and trains.

This prompted the Commission for Air Quality Management to invoke stage four, the highest level, of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas on Saturday.

The curbs ban the entry of older diesel trucks into the city, suspend construction, including on public projects, and impose hybrid schooling, Reuters reported.

Kapil Mishra, a minister in the local government, announced on Wednesday that all private and government offices in the city would operate with 50% attendance, with the remaining working from home.

Additionally, all registered construction workers, many of them earning daily wages, will be given compensation of 10,000 rupees ($110) because of the ban, Mishra said at a press conference in Delhi.

On Tuesday, the government enforced strict anti-pollution measures for vehicles in the city, banning vehicles that are not compliant with the latest emission control standards.

"Our government is committed to providing clean air in Delhi. We will take strict steps to ensure this in the coming days," Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said late on Tuesday.

Pollution is an annual winter problem in Delhi and its suburbs, when cold, dense air traps emissions from vehicles, construction sites and crop burning in neighboring states, pushing pollution levels to among the highest in the world and exposing residents to severe respiratory risks.

The area, home to 30 million people, gets covered in a thick layer of smog with AQI touching high 450-levels. Readings below 50 are considered good.