Hello and welcome to Emirati, a monthly newsletter from The National.
While this month's feature may differ from what we usually highlight in the newsletter, it also carries a deeply nostalgic note to me personally and to most Abu Dhabi residents.
We're turning our focus to one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest and most storied institutions: Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, a merger of sorts between what used to be Al Jazeera Hospital and the Abu Dhabi Central Hospital, where generations of Emiratis were born.
Located in the heart of the capital, this area holds countless memories for so many families. We gave birth there, rushed there in moments of emergency, and, for many, said our final goodbyes to loved ones within its walls.
Abu Dhabi Central Hospital, commissioned in 1966 by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and opened in 1968, was the emirate’s first hospital and remained a symbol of the country’s early commitment to health care until its closure in 2008. Al Jazeera Hospital, established in the mid-1970s, merged with Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in 2005. Over the decades, the complex has undergone many transformations and hosted partnerships, and a 2013 redesign re-envisioned it as a comprehensive medical campus, where Al Jazeera and Central Hospital live on, if only in name and memory.
Today, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City is heralding a new era with its partnership with one of the world’s leading paediatric centres, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. We will soon see new faces, new technology and a new standard of care.
Yet, without sounding too sentimental, every time my car approaches the vicinity of the medical complex, I can’t help but see my grandparents and relatives in its walls. I see Abu Dhabi itself, with its veteran doctors and familiar corridors that predate robotic surgery and modern advances. Within those walls, our past and present coexist, quietly and steadfastly – under one roof.
And now, from those same walls that once witnessed our first breaths and, for some, their last, a new chapter begins – one that looks firmly towards the future while holding the spirit of our past. The old and the new.
Thank you for reading,
Top US doctors team up with Abu Dhabi hospital to care for the young
Teams of doctors from one of the top-ranked children's hospitals in the US are already working with counterparts in Abu Dhabi as part of a project to provide the best possible care to families in the UAE.
A collaboration was announced in May between Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital to transform Abu Dhabi into a regional centre of excellence for advanced paediatric medicine, research and training, strengthening the emirate’s position as a global destination for specialised health care.
The first visiting teams – including cardiology, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, neurosurgery and oncology – have already begun work on site, performing surgery and joint consultations alongside Emirati physicians.
The co-operation combines SKMC’s clinical experience with Cincinnati Children’s 142 years of expertise and innovation.
“When we evaluate partners, we look first at cultural alignment,” said Dr Daniel von Allmen, regional president of Cincinnati Children’s. “In the UAE we found that alignment immediately with SKMC. The dedication to patient-centred care here mirrors our own.”
Cincinnati Children's was this month named in the top 10 leading hospitals in the US for paediatric care in the latest US News and World Report's Best Hospitals list.
Did you know?
Abu Dhabi in September unveiled plans to invest a further Dh42 billion ($11.44 billion) to improve the quality of life of its citizens as part of its Liveability Strategy. Read more here
Massimo Castellani is one of many to benefit from the surgery in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Two men who once believed their lives would be defined by loss are walking again after undergoing pioneering bone-implant surgery at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi.
Massimo Castellani, 50, from Rimini, Italy, and Steven Doolan, 38, from Liverpool in the UK, are among the first international patients to benefit from the 10 Journeys Initiative, a programme launched by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings.
The scheme is offering 10 free advanced prosthetic operations for amputees who have lost limbs through trauma, accidents or conflict.
Valued at Dh4 million ($1 million), the initiative was unveiled in May 2024, coinciding with the opening of Al Muderis Osseointegration Clinic at Burjeel Medical City, led by renowned orthopaedic surgeon Prof Munjed Al Muderis.
Rahaf Ayyad in May, left, when she received lifesaving treatment, and in October, as she continues her recovery. Ahmed Ramzan for The National; Victor Besa / The National
Two years since the Hamas attacks, which led to the war waged by Israel in Gaza, much has changed for the 3,000 Gazans now living in Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi.
One of the most visible indications of such change is Rahaf Ayyad, 13, who arrived in the UAE in May on an evacuation flight carrying 101 patients accompanied by 87 family members.
She was 12 when she arrived in the Emirates, severely malnourished, and doctors said at the time that “death was inevitable".
After months of suffering, she had lost most of her hair and was unable to walk or lift her arm. She was also suffering from regular seizures. Her face was hollowed out by malnutrition and her teeth were yellow.
Rahaf was treated at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City as soon as she arrived, and since then her cheeks have filled out and her hair, which had fallen out, has grown back. “I can run and play again. I’m happy and soon I’ll see my grandparents,” she said.
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Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area. Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife. Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”. He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale. Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
