News2018-09-10

Dr Abdulla Al Khayat Appointed as CEO of Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital

Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, announced today the appointment of Dr. Abdulla Ibrahim Al Khayat as the CEO of Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital.

Dr. Al Khayat’s appointment will provide a significant impetus to the hospital’s ongoing efforts – as the first and only specialised hospital for children in the UAE – to set a new standard of excellence in paediatric services, education, and research.

Dr. Al Khayat, who currently holds the position of Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors at the hospital, is one of the first UAE national doctors to specialise in paediatrics and is widely recognised as one of the most eminent paediatricians in the UAE. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 1970 from the University of Cairo. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Health (UK) and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (London). In 2004, Dr. Al Khayat became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and a member of the Gulf Chapter of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland since 2004, and in August 2005, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK)

Commenting on his new role, Dr. Al Khayat, said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled by the decision of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya to trust me with the responsibility of leading this outstanding, pioneering children’s hospital. I look forward to working with the exceptional team at Al Jalila Children’s to enhance their efforts to promote the hospital locally, regionally and internationally by achieving the highest standards of excellence in pediatric healthcare and bringing new and much-needed international expertise to benefit the people of this region and beyond.”

“Building on the existing foundation of unparalleled clinical excellence at Al Jalila Children’s – a gift to the children of the UAE and the region from HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai – my main focus during the coming period will be to strengthen the hospital’s strategic alliances and expand access to its services by building partnerships with public and private bodies throughout the UAE so more and more children can benefit from what Al Jalila Children’s has to offer.”

Prior to his new position as the CEO of Al Jalila Children’s, Dr. Al Khayat served in many notable positions. He was a founder member of the Thalassemia Centre in Dubai and Emirates Medical Association since January 1982. He served as the Chairman of Emirates Medical Association from 1990 to 1993. He is the Chairman of the Dubai Centre for Special Needs since 1994, and headed Latifa Hospital as the Chief Executive Officer in 2009. He is also a former member of the Board of Trustees of Sheikh Hamdan International Award for Medical sciences.

Dr Al Khayat’s pioneering journey in paediatric medicine has been widely acknowledged by many of his peers as well as various private and public entities. The Cultural and Scientific Association Sheikh Rashid Prize for Academic Distinction in 1989, the Dubai Government Excellence Award for Best Supervisor in 2001, and the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences Award for Individuals Working in the Field of Medicine and Health, are a few.