RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s specialised medical and surgical team has successfully separated Tanzanian conjoined twins, Laityness and Loveness, in a landmark operation performed at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh.
The 14.5-hour operation, completed on October 30, involved nine surgical phases and marked another major achievement for the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the programme’s medical and surgical team, announced the successful procedure.
14.5 hours… where every moment made a difference, and every step brought a dream closer to reality.
From the very beginning to the moment of success, a remarkable humanitarian journey unfolded through the hands of a dedicated Saudi medical team, giving Tanzanian twins “Laityness and Loveness” a new beginning and adding another inspiring chapter to the legacy of compassion and medical excellence of the #SaudiConjoinedTwinsProgramme. 🇸🇦
— KSrelief (@KSRelief_EN) October 29, 2026
He said the operation was carried out through the collective efforts of the specialised medical team, with 44 consultants, specialists, nurses and technical staff from various medical disciplines participating to ensure the highest standards of precision and patient safety.
Dr. Al Rabeeah explained that the twins, aged two years and two months, were joined at the pelvis and hips. They also shared the lower portion of their intestines, spinal column, lumbar vertebrae and spinal cord, and had four lower limbs.
He described the successful separation as a significant medical achievement, highlighting the expertise and dedication of the multidisciplinary team involved in the complex procedure.
In a new medical milestone, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme successfully separated Tanzanian conjoined twins “Laityness and Loveness” in a 14.5-hour operation conducted in 9 stages by a team of 44 medical professionals, led by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah.
This marks the Programme’s 75th successful separation operation and the fourth involving twins from Tanzania.
#SaudiConjoinedTwinsProgramme
— KSrelief (@KSRelief_EN) October 29, 2026
According to Dr. Al Rabeeah, this was the fourth separation of conjoined twins from the United Republic of Tanzania and the 75th operation performed under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme.
Over more than 35 years, the programme has evaluated 160 cases involving conjoined twins from 29 countries, demonstrating Saudi Arabia’s growing expertise and humanitarian contribution to specialised medical care.
The programme operates under the direct support and patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
On behalf of himself and the entire medical and surgical team, Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for its continued support, which he said had helped establish the Kingdom as a distinguished international centre for the treatment and separation of conjoined twins.
He also praised the dedication and professional efforts of all medical personnel involved in ensuring the success of the operation.
The twins’ mother expressed her heartfelt appreciation to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for providing her daughters with advanced medical care. She also thanked the medical team for its exceptional efforts and commitment to the successful completion of the surgery.
