Saudi Doctors Begin Separation Surgery on Fijian Twins

Saudi doctors began a complex operation in Riyadh on October 15, 2026, to separate Fijian conjoined twins Jasbili and Desisia. The surgery is being carried out at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital, part of King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs.

The operation is planned across nine stages and is expected to take around 15 hours. A team of 34 medical, technical, and nursing personnel is taking part, with the medically assessed success rate estimated at 70%.

This marks the first time the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program has handled a case involving twins from Fiji, and it is the 74th case addressed by the program overall. Saudi Arabia is covering the family’s travel, accommodation, medical care, and the full cost of the surgery, with no fee charged to the family.

Why it matters

The case reflects the Kingdom’s long-running humanitarian work in pediatric surgery, which has treated families from many countries at no cost. For the community in Saudi Arabia, it is a reminder of the specialized medical expertise available locally and the humanitarian role the Kingdom continues to play internationally.

As a humanitarian medical case, the surgery does not involve any public application channel, fixed fee, or validity period, and no standard government procedure applies to the operation itself.

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