Children in the Middle East have received life-saving heart surgery as part of an initiative to help those in need of complex medical procedures.
About 10 children from Libya, Egypt and Tunisia were among the first beneficiaries of the Golden Heart Initiative, with others set to have operations in the coming months.
The initiative aims to deliver free surgery to 50 children in urgent need of complex, life-changing procedures, and marks 50 years of philanthropy by Lulu Group chairman Yusuff Ali MA and VPS Healthcare.
Procedures on children with congenital heart diseases in conflict zones or whose families are in financial difficulty are being carried out at hospitals in the UAE, Oman and India.
Across countries, we are identifying patients in need, ensuring that this initiative extends its healing touch to those who need it the most
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil,
chairman of Burjeel Holdings of VPS Healthcare
Mouheb, an 11-month-old from Libya diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot – a rare congenital defect that affects blood flow through the heart, is one of the children who has benefited from the initiative.
Dr Mourad Hakim, Mouheb's doctor, said the baby's condition had been severe.
“Immediate surgery was imperative, as any delay could worsen the infant’s condition, resulting in heightened cyanosis – a bluish discolouration of the skin and mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen in the blood – and heart hypertrophy,” Dr Hakim said. “This posed considerable challenges for the surgical outcome.”
Mouheb’s parents, Abdelrazak Mohammed and Mawaddah, travelled from Libya to Tunisia for the life-saving operation at Clinic Taoufik, under the Taoufik Hospitals Group.
“We were waiting to meet the finances for the surgery for several months,” said Mr Mohammed, who works in health care in Libya. “But with the help of this initiative, we were able to get this surgery in one week. Now we hope he can live a normal life like his peers.”
Comprehensive care
The family had access to surgery and comprehensive care, provided free of charge by Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, who launched the initiative through VPS Healthcare.
VPS Healthcare invited families to apply for the operations after speaking to doctors in Libya to identify critical cases in need of urgent care.
Elsewhere, parents submitted medical reports to apply for free procedures in India and across the Middle East.
Chaabani, a nine-year-old from Tunisia, was operated on for multiple ventricular septal defects (VSDS), also known as “holes in the heart”, having already undergone pulmonary artery banding, a surgical technique to reduce excessive blood flow.
The Golden Heart Initiative initiative has changed the lives of many families, including parents Sami Ali Al Turki and Sireen Ayad Suisse, whose baby Elias was diagnosed with a heart problem resulting from gestational diabetes.
“This initiative was a ray of hope when we were on the brink of despair,” said Mr Al Turki, who works in the Libyan electricity industry. “From the moment we were contacted with the news that Elias was one of the first recipients of this initiative, it took just a week for our baby to be admitted to Clinic Taoufik and undergo this life-saving surgery.
“We are sincerely grateful to the exceptional medical staff for their prompt response and efficient co-ordination.”
Glimmer of hope
For Madlin and Medhat, parents of five-year-old Mariam from Egypt, the initiative brought a glimmer of hope.
They had sought medical advice over Mariam’s noticeably smaller stature and stunted growth, which had become a source of bullying and challenges for her.
Doctors identified a congenital heart condition, complex atrial septal defect (ASD), as the underlying issue, which could not be treated with conventional catheterisation procedures.
It required major surgery at Nile Badrawi Hospital, one of the facilities of Cleopatra Hospitals Group.
Mariam’s doctors Dr Mahmoud Shehata, a consultant in paediatric cardiology, and Professor Ahmed Afifi, a cardiac surgery consultant, said the swift decision to carry out surgery avoided any further complications.
“We performed an ASD open-heart patch surgery to repair the septal defect,” said Prof Afifi. “We now expect Mariam to lead a better quality of life with her appetite and activity levels returning.”
The other children who have undergone life-saving surgery under the initiative are between 10 months and nine years old.
More operations will be carried out in specialist hospitals under the umbrella of Burjeel Holdings, across the UAE and Oman, as well as Dr Vayalil’s hospitals in India.
“We are proud to see that the Golden Heart Initiative is contributing to a healthier and brighter future for these little ones,” said Dr Vayalil. “Across countries, we are identifying patients in need, ensuring that this initiative extends its healing touch to those who need it the most.”
Parents can submit applications, along with the child’s medical report and contact details, to hope@vpshealth.com.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
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THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
