A 34-member Saudi medical team begins a complex 15-hour operation to separate conjoined Fijian twins. The procedure marks the Saudi program’s 74th separation surgery, with an estimated success rate of 70%.

Riyadh | BETH – October 15, 2026

Under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the medical team of the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program began surgery Thursday morning to separate the 13-month-old Fijian conjoined twins, “Jasbili and Desisia,” at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Riyadh.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the medical and surgical team, explained that the operation will be conducted in nine stages over approximately 15 hours, involving 34 specialists in pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedics, urology, anesthesia, nursing, and supporting medical disciplines.

He noted that the twins share the liver, intestines, colon, anus, urinary and reproductive systems, and pelvic bone, making the separation an exceptionally complex surgical procedure. Based on the medical team's assessment, the estimated success rate is 70%.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah also revealed that the twins’ parents had requested to rename their daughters “Noura and Sarah” as an expression of appreciation and affection for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This is the first separation surgery involving conjoined twins from the Republic of Fiji and the 74th procedure performed under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Program, which has provided care to 159 sets of twins from 28 countries across five continents since 1990.

BETH Analysis | Saudi Medical Expertise on the Global Stage

The significance of this operation extends beyond its humanitarian dimension, reaffirming the international standing Saudi medicine has achieved in conjoined twin separation surgery.

The program’s continuity for more than three decades, alongside its reach across five continents, reflects accumulated surgical expertise and multidisciplinary medical integration, further strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a global center of excellence in this specialized field.