Saudi Doctors Perform Life-Saving Surgeries in Syria

Saudi and Syrian doctors performing a heart surgery (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi and Syrian doctors performing a heart surgery (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Doctors Perform Life-Saving Surgeries in Syria

Saudi and Syrian doctors performing a heart surgery (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi and Syrian doctors performing a heart surgery (Asharq Al-Awsat)

In the cardiac surgery unit at Al-Mouwasat University Hospital in the Syrian capital, Dr. Rakan Al-Nazer, head of the Saudi medical delegation to Damascus, stood alongside Dr. Nasser Kheder, the chief of Syrian doctors, and a joint Saudi-Syrian medical team preparing for an open-heart surgery on a Syrian patient.
The procedure follows more than 11 surgeries and dozens of interventional catheterization consultations performed by the team in recent days.

Dr. Al-Nazer is leading a 28-member Saudi medical team — comprising surgeons, consultants, and anesthesiologists — who arrived in Damascus four days ago to perform open-heart and catheterization procedures for adults and children. The mission is being carried out in cooperation with local Syrian doctors and coordinated by the Saudi humanitarian organization Al-Balsam.

The volunteer team is part of a broader group of medical missions that have arrived in Syria since the beginning of the year, as public hospitals grapple with severe shortages of staff, medicine, and soaring fuel prices. The crisis has strained the ability of local medical personnel to reach patients in need and provide free healthcare amid a worsening economic and humanitarian situation across the country.

Al-Nazer told Asharq Al-Awsat that the initiative is part of a wider range of medical volunteer programs run by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and the Saudi Al-Balsam organization in Syria and other crisis-hit countries. The aim, he said, is “to offer free medical assistance and treatment to low-income individuals and families.”

He added that the campaign’s goal is to perform as many surgeries as possible — targeting up to 100 operations — while ensuring full recovery for all patients, supported by the necessary medical supplies and logistical backing needed for such complex procedures.

Dr. Nasser Kheder, Syria’s chief physician, said the country’s healthcare sector—particularly in Damascus—has been “exhausted in every sense of the word,” after years of conflict destroyed many medical facilities and left healthcare workers drained amid shortages in medical specializations, low wages, and a lack of advanced equipment.

He noted that the joint Saudi-Syrian medical teams have performed a range of procedures, including coronary artery surgeries, aortic and mitral valve replacements, and cardiac catheterizations with stent placements.

Since March, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has launched five volunteer medical projects in Damascus and its countryside.

Under the “Amal” (Hope) program, Saudi teams have provided surgeries in cardiac care, neurosurgery for adults and children, orthopedics, and interventional cardiology, with the participation of 50 volunteer specialists across various medical fields.

Saudi Arabia’s ongoing humanitarian efforts in Syria are part of a broader mission to support the Syrian people and alleviate the hardship caused by nearly 14 years of war.

The volunteer medical initiatives, led by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, aim to assist low-income individuals and families with life-saving care.

The projects fall under a wider Saudi push to provide critical services in conflict-affected areas and reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to long-term humanitarian support.

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) has warned that Syria’s healthcare system remains in a dire state. More than 20 public hospitals have gone out of service, and 38 others are operating only partially.

The organization reported that a large number of patients are still in urgent need of specialized surgeries and essential medications.



Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)

A recent Saudi delegation’s visit to China marked a significant step toward deepening environmental cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on reforestation technologies and combating desertification, said Khaled Alabdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

Alabdulkader said the visit, led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, included high-level meetings and site visits to explore China’s pioneering experiences in land reclamation and vegetation cover development.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Alabdulkader described the trip as “rich and beneficial,” revealing that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NCVC and China’s Gansu Desert Control Research Institute.

The agreement follows a Saudi Cabinet resolution passed in December 2023 authorizing the minister to negotiate and sign the MoU to strengthen cooperation in combating desertification.

The Saudi delegation met with executives from major Chinese firms to discuss launching joint investment projects in Saudi Arabia, including initiatives in natural resource management, rangeland rehabilitation, and the development of desert parks and eco-resorts, said Alabdulkader.

The discussions also explored transferring tree-planting technologies and desertification control methods as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to promote green economic growth and sustainability, he added.

“We aim to localize these technologies to help achieve our environmental goals and enhance sustainability in Saudi Arabia,” Alabdulkader said, expressing hope for expanded collaboration and further agreements building on the outcomes of the visit.

Talks also covered advanced techniques in mangrove cultivation, which are critical for coastal protection and boosting vegetation, as well as environmental protection innovations and the economic potential of invasive plants, including converting them into eco-friendly products.

Additionally, Alabdulkader held discussions with a Chinese environmental design company to explore cooperation on national park and wetland development in Saudi Arabia.

The visit, reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), aimed to strengthen the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China in the sectors of environment, water, and agriculture.

The visit also sought to open new export channels for Saudi products to the Chinese market and facilitate the introduction of more than 20 new food products from Saudi Arabia.

As part of the official visit, the Saudi delegation participated in the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Exporting Saudi Products and Agricultural Sustainability.

The forum concluded with the signing of 57 agreements and MoUs between 36 Saudi and Chinese entities, with investments exceeding SAR 14 billion ($3.7 billion).

These included 26 export agreements and 14 MoUs between the National Center for Palms and Dates and various Chinese companies and government agencies, aiming to boost global visibility and exports of Saudi dates and date-based products.