A specialized medical team from King Abdulaziz University and Al Jouf Health Cluster has
performed the first pediatric interventional cardiac catheterization procedure in Al-
Qurayyat. The achievement marks a significant advancement in specialized healthcare
services in the region and reinforces the importance of integration between the academic,
healthcare, and nonprofit sectors.

Performed at Al-Qurayyat General Hospital on April 27, 2026, the procedure treated a young
girl with pulmonary valve stenosis using an interventional catheterization technique to dilate
the valve. The delicate procedure was completed successfully, by the grace of God, and the
child was transferred to the intensive care unit in stable condition for medical observation.

Professor Ahmed Saeed Azhar, Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist and Interventional
Catheterization Specialist, led the King Abdulaziz University team. The local team from the
Cardiac Center at Al-Qurayyat General Hospital was led by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Ruwaili, with
the participation of Dr. Sami Mahjoub from the Military Hospital in Riyadh. The procedure
was conducted as part of a strategic partnership involving the university’s Faculty of
Medicine and University Hospital, Al-Qurayyat Medical Services Association, and Falathat
Association in Makkah.

Part of the 20th medical outreach visit coordinated by Falathat Association in cooperation
with Al-Qurayyat Medical Services Association, the initiative has contributed to serving more
than 800 patients across Saudi Arabia’s northern region, including Al-Qurayyat, Tubarjal, and
Al Jouf.

As the third specialized pediatric interventional catheterization outreach visit of its kind in
the Kingdom, following two successful visits in Al Jouf, this achievement reflects the
combined efforts of the academic, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors to support quality-of-
life objectives and localize advanced medical services, sparing patients and their families the
hardship of traveling to major cities to access specialized treatment.