Partnership aims to strengthen healthcare access, patient support and community awareness for people living with thalassemia across the UAE
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 23 October 2026: Yas Clinic Khalifa City and the Emirates Thalassemia Society (ETS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen support for people living with thalassemia in the UAE. The partnership brings together healthcare provision and patient advocacy to advance cooperation in healthcare access, patient support and community awareness, with a shared focus on addressing the needs of patients and their families.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Yas Clinic Khalifa City, and Dr. Khaled Khoury, General Manager of the Emirates Thalassemia Society, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, in the presence of Mr. Abdul Baset Merdas, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Thalassemia Society.
Through the collaboration, Yas Clinic and ETS aim to align healthcare provision with the wider needs of people living with thalassemia. The partnership will focus on facilitating access to care, strengthening patient and family support, and advancing educational and awareness initiatives for healthcare professionals and the wider community. By combining clinical expertise with the society’s experience in patient advocacy and community engagement, the two partners aim to identify practical opportunities to make support more coordinated and responsive to patients’ needs.
Dr. Fatima AlKaabi Executive Director of the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Yas Clinic Khalifa City, said: “Quality healthcare means delivering the right clinical care while recognising the practical realities that patients and their families face when managing a long-term condition. For people living with thalassemia, continuity of care and access to appropriate medical services are particularly important. Through our partnership with the Emirates Thalassemia Society, we aim to translate this understanding into practical support for patients, combining Yas Clinic’s healthcare services with ETS’s close connection to the thalassemia community. Our shared focus is to help make care more accessible, coordinated and responsive to the needs of patients and their families.”
The collaboration reflects the importance of bringing healthcare providers and patient-support organisations closer together to address the practical and wider social needs associated with long-term conditions. Through its engagement with ETS, Yas Clinic aims to support initiatives that place patients and their families at the centre of care, while contributing to greater awareness and understanding of thalassemia.
Dr. Khalid Khouri, General Manager of the Emirates Thalassemia Society, said: “We believe that strengthening collaboration between healthcare institutions and organizations dedicated to supporting patients is essential to enhancing the quality of care provided to individuals living with thalassemia. Our partnership with Yas Clinic Khalifa City represents an important step towards improving patients’ access to appropriate healthcare services, advancing awareness initiatives, and providing the necessary support to patients and their families. We look forward to this partnership making a positive and lasting impact on patients’ lives, reflecting our shared commitment to placing patients’ needs at the heart of the healthcare system in the United Arab Emirates.”
