H.H. Sheikha Shaikha bint Saif bin Mohamed Al Nahyan Inaugurates New Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Center at Burjeel Medical City

H.H. Sheikha Shaikha bint Saif bin Mohamed Al Nahyan Inaugurates New Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Center at Burjeel Medical City

The center supports individuals living with thalassemia and sickle cell disease by delivering a holistic, patient-centric, and evidence-based model of care

ABU DHABI: Under the patronage and in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Shaikha bint Saif bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, wife of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Advisor to His Highness the President, and Chairperson of the Emirates Thalassemia Society, Burjeel Holdings has launched a Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Center at its flagship quaternary care hospital, Burjeel Medical City (BMC) in Abu Dhabi, in a step towards redefining the standard of care for individuals with inherited blood disorders.

Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan said in the opening speech she delivered on this occasion: “In my mother’s unwavering commitment to thalassemia patients, I have witnessed how compassion, when paired with vision and persistence, can transform countless lives across generations and beyond borders. The newly inaugurated Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Center by Burjeel Holdings’ state-of-the-art facility will provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients and their families.”

The center was inaugurated in a grand ceremony also attended by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, Mr. Omran Al Khoori, Board Member, and a number of Burjeel leaders. The opening was also attended by members of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Thalassemia Society and a number of leaders from the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi.

The center supports individuals living with thalassemia and sickle cell disease by delivering a holistic, patient-centric, and evidence-based model of care, supported by a multidisciplinary team of world-renowned experts.

The center offers fully integrated outpatient services and a dedicated transfusion unit operating seven days a week. The center is distinguished by several key differentiators, including extended transfusion services across the UAE via Burjeel’s hospital network, internationally validated MRI quantification of iron overload in the heart and liver, and in-house molecular genotyping capabilities. Patients are cared for by experts with decades of experience in managing both pediatric and adult cases of thalassemia and sickle cell disease. With the region reporting considerably high prevalence rates of thalassemia and sickle cell disease, the center aims to bridge critical gaps in long-term care. The center’s strategic location within a quaternary care facility ensures direct access to advanced medical and surgical subspecialties, enabling seamless referrals and comprehensive management of complications.

“Our goal is to establish the Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Center as a regional hub for cutting-edge care and research in rare blood disorders. What makes this center unique is the combination of global clinical expertise, access to the latest therapies, and the ability to deliver care in line with international guidelines authored by the very people leading the services here. We are not only focused on treatment, but also on improving patients’ quality of life and future outcomes through holistic, personalized care,” said Prof. Khaled Musallam, Group Chief Research Officer, Burjeel Holdings, and Director of the Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Center.

With an international advisory board of global key opinion leaders, the center adheres to leading global standards including those of the Thalassaemia International Federation with necessary local adaptations to meet the specific needs of patients in the UAE and wider region. Its continuum of care begins at diagnosis and spans childhood to adulthood, with tailored transition programs and advanced treatments for conditions including transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT), non-transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (NTDT), and sickle cell disease.

The center will also work closely with the Center for Research on Rare Blood Disorders (CR-RBD) at BMC also headed by Prof. Khaled Musallam, to identify and enroll eligible patients in global clinical trials, ensuring access to the latest innovations in treatment including disease-modifying and curative therapies. CR-RBD has swiftly become recognized as one of the most active hubs for research on hemoglobin disorders globally.