King’s College Hospital launches liver transplant center

UAE – King’s College Hospital London – Dubai has launched the first dedicated liver transplant center in Dubai for both children and adults.

Opened in November 2024, the center marks a major step forward in advanced healthcare in the UAE and builds on more than 40 years of experience in liver care.

The center is led by world-renowned transplant surgeon Professor Mohamed Rela, who has performed over 4,000 liver transplants, including the world’s youngest known transplant on a five-day-old infant. His leadership brings deep expertise, especially in complex paediatric liver surgeries.

What sets this center apart is its team-based approach. Specialists, including liver doctors, surgeons, psychologists, and nutritionists, work closely together to offer complete care from diagnosis through recovery.

This approach follows proven practices from King’s College Hospital in London, one of the top liver transplant centers globally, performing more than 200 procedures every year.

One of the center’s main goals is to fill a major gap in paediatric liver care in the region. Many young patients with conditions like biliary atresia have had limited access to transplant services in the past.

To address this, the hospital is partnering with organizations such as the Al Jalila Foundation to support families who may struggle with the cost of care.

This new center builds on a strong foundation. In 1979, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan helped fund the King’s Liver Research Centre in London.

More recently, the hospital launched its adult liver transplant services in Dubai in 2023, under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Dubai Health Authority.

Dr. Tashfeen Siddiq Ali, Chief Medical Officer at King’s, shared that the center is also focused on prevention. “We are not only treating liver diseases and doing transplants,” he said, “but also working hard to detect and prevent liver conditions early.”