Abu Dhabi has shared some very encouraging health news. The emirate has performed 779 organ transplants so far in 2026, according to new figures from the Department of Health. That is 23.5 percent more than the whole of last year. Since 2017, the total number of transplants in the emirate has reached 2,500.
A Sharp Rise in Just Two Years
The growth over the last few years is striking. Transplants went from 290 in 2024 to 631 in 2025 and now to 779 this year. That means the number is almost 169 per cent higher than it was in 2024.
The department says the rise comes from investment in specialised medical facilities, advanced surgical technology, internationally trained doctors and partnerships with leading healthcare institutions.
Strong Results for Patients
Numbers only matter if patients do well, and here the results look good. The department reported that one-year success rates after a transplant have reached 96.5 per cent. Abu Dhabi also recorded the highest organ donation rate among Gulf countries in 2025.
Four Hospitals Lead the Way
Four major hospitals sit at the centre of the programme. They are Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Burjeel Medical City and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City. Together they offer specialised transplant services, including complex surgeries involving more than one organ and robot-assisted operations.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is home to the UAE’s first multi-organ transplant centre. It runs the country’s only heart and lung transplant programmes, supported by a dedicated transplant intensive care unit. The hospital also carried out the UAE’s first combined heart and lung transplant. At the time, it became one of only five centres in the world to perform a robot-assisted lung transplant, a method meant to improve precision and help recovery.
The Department of Health said these advances give patients with complex conditions new options that they did not have before.
Working With Partners Abroad
Abu Dhabi is also learning from experts around the world. It has partnerships with Spain’s Donation and Transplantation Institute and the United Network for Organ Sharing in the United States. These groups help improve donation systems, strengthen clinical standards, and build special programmes for kidney and liver transplants.
Their work has helped bring in new donation pathways, such as tissue donation and organ retrieval after circulatory death. These can increase the number of organs available for patients who are waiting.
Cooperation within the region matters too. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have exchanged more than 550 organs since the programme began. Sharing across borders raises the chance of finding a good match, especially for patients with complex medical needs. The department says expanding this kind of arrangement remains an important goal.
What Is Hayat?
Hayat is the UAE’s national organ and tissue donation and transplantation programme. It was launched in 2017 to increase the supply of donated organs and to give patients with organ failure better access to life-saving treatment.
More than 40,000 people have now registered their wish to donate organs after death through the programme. Each registration helps the system identify possible donors and connect organs with patients on the waiting list. For a family facing a hard time, knowing the wishes of a loved one in advance can also make a painful decision clearer.
Why This News Matters
Behind every transplant is a person and a family who were waiting, often for a long time. A higher number of procedures means more people getting a second chance at life. A strong success rate tells us that those chances are real and that patients are recovering well.
It also shows how health care in the UAE is growing in skill and reach. Robotic surgery, international partnerships, and regional organ sharing are turning Abu Dhabi into a serious centre for transplant medicine.
How You Can Help
If you want to support the cause, the first step is to learn more about Hayat and think about registering your wish to donate. It is a personal choice, and it helps to talk about it with your family so that they understand your decision.
While You Are Reading the News
If you are planning something fun this season, there is plenty to look forward to. Food lovers can read about Salon du Chocolat in Dubai, where chocolate, pastry and coffee take over Madinat Jumeirah for three days.
Sports fans have a big weekend coming too, and here is the guide to the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the F1 season finale.
For Abu Dhabi, the transplant story is one of progress. With more skilled doctors, better tools and a growing group of donors, the emirate is giving hope to many patients and their families.