Children's National: A Partnership to Advance Pediatric Care

For decades, the United Arab Emirates and Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC have forged a transformative partnership to advance pediatric care for Emirati patients. Their collaboration has driven groundbreaking medical innovation that is shaping the future of children's health in the UAE, the US and beyond.

At the heart of the partnership is the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation established in 2009 through a transformative $150 million grant from the UAE. The gift was the largest ever for pediatric surgery and one of the largest for any children’s hospital.

That founding gift has resulted in the development of life-saving treatments that make pediatric surgery more precise, less invasive and pain free, with breakthroughs ranging from robotic surgery to non-invasive tumor treatment, and more than 82 US patents, helping children lead more healthy lives.

Children's National Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation

In 2019, the UAE committed $30 million to help construct the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, DC, a first-of-its-kind hub where scientists and engineers develop treatments and medical devices designed specifically for children.  

UAE funds Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, DC

In 2024, the UAE announced a $35 million gift to fund new pediatric innovations and bolster strategic health initiatives, including within the hospital’s Center for Prenatal, Neonatal & Maternal Health Research and the Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute.

This announcement coincided with a historic visit to the United States by UAE President HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who visited Children’s National to tour the facilities and meet the Emirati patients and families whose lives have been transformed by this partnership.

MBZ at Children's National with Patient

The following year, the UAE dedicated two endowed professorships at Children's National to cement the next generation of pediatric leadership.

In total, the UAE has contributed more than $215 million to Children's National — a testament to our nation’s firm commitment to children's health.

YAO at Future Home of CNH

Ambassador Al Otaiba and his wife Abeer Shoukry-Al Otaiba have championed the UAE's partnership with Children's National. Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, they were among the initial supporters who helped launch the hospital’s drive-up COVID-19 testing locations for young patients at Trinity Washington University, the first of its kind in the Washington, DC area. In January 2021, the Ambassador and UAE diplomats carried that commitment further, hosting a blood drive at the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC, donating over 25 units of blood to support patients at Children’s National.
BLINQ

In 2014, Boston Children's Hospital ophthalmologist-in-chief Dr. David Hunter and his pediatric ophthalmology team were awarded a $50K grant from the Sheikh Zayed Institute at Children’s National to develop blinq™ - a unique vision scanner used to detect common eye conditions in children, including amblyopia and strabismus. With a 97% accuracy rate, the device helps ensure early treatment and improved health outcomes. The award from the Sheikh Zayed Institute supported the expansion of Dr. Hunter’s team, brought the medical device out of incubation stage in the laboratory and through required tests for US federal approval. Today, blinq is used by state health departments, pediatricians and primary care physicians across the US.
Infant being treated

Physicians, scientists and engineers at the Sheikh Zayed Institute are making a difference by pioneering new treatment methods that utilize technology that replaces the need for blood tests or other invasive analysis. Researchers are also making advancements in immunology and cell biology, using a child’s own immune system to fight illness and cure disease without the need for surgery. Researchers have even developed a groundbreaking non-invasive tool called AlgometRx that can measure pain. The development of new devices and innovative treatments is making pediatric surgery less invasive, less painful and more effective.

The true measure of this partnership is felt by UAE and US families alike who have walked through Children's National's doors seeking lifesaving and complex pediatric care. Among them are thousands of Emirati children who have received care here over the course of this partnership, carrying forward the enduring legacy of Sheikh Zayed, whose vision for children's health continues to touch the lives of so many families.

Through research fellowships, medical residencies, innovative telemedicine and international training programs, advancements being made every day at Children’s National are shared with Emirati and other medical professionals to help build the next generation of healthcare leaders and improve the delivery of pediatric care in the UAE and beyond.