A Partnership to Transform Pediatric Health

In September of 2009, Children's National Hospital received a $150 million gift from the government of Abu Dhabi and the people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create a new research institute aimed at making surgery more precise, less invasive, and pain free – the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation.

The gift was the largest ever for pediatric surgery, as well as one of the largest to a children’s hospital. It also launched a philanthropic partnership that continues to transform pediatric medicine worldwide. More than 15 years later, this partnership is stronger and more impactful than ever. In total, the UAE has given more than $215 million to Children’s National to advance pediatric breakthroughs and transform care.

These investments reflect the longstanding commitment to children’s health of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, who visited Children’s National most recently in September 2024.

Additional donations from the UAE include:

• A $30 million commitment in 2019 helped open the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in 2021. This first-of-its-kind hub for pediatric discovery harnesses collaboration and science to develop new treatments and medical devices specifically for kids.
• A $35 million donation announced in 2024 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed will bolster various strategic health initiatives, including within the hospital’s Center for Prenatal, Neonatal & Maternal Health Research and the Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute.

The Impact

Advances in pediatric medicine made through Emirati investments have impacted children in the U.S., in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and around the globe. Our partnership has thus far yielded 82 U.S. patents, licensed intellectual property to eight companies and delivered groundbreaking healthcare solutions to children worldwide.

Today, the Sheikh Zayed Institute (SZI) has grown into a world-class, self-sustaining research center. It receives more than 80% of its funding from grants and outside sources. This platform for invention is advancing autonomous, robotic surgery. The institute’s researchers believe pediatric surgical outcomes will improve if the precision and delicacy of a robot are incorporated into procedures such as gallbladder removal. SZI also is propelling the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve pediatric medicine and expand health equity.

The Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus houses the Children’s National Rare Disease Institute and Center for Genetic Medicine Research. Together, they are pioneering care for children in the Washington region and abroad as an international referral site for rare disorders.

The Relationship

Children’s National has cared for Emirati children for more than three decades. In 1991, the UAE Embassy opened a medical office in the District of Columbia. Since then, hundreds of young Emiratis and their families have sought care at the hospital. Dozens of Children’s National specialists have conducted medical tours of the UAE over the last 15 years through a visiting physician program.

This transformational partnership inspired Children’s National to rename its main campus the Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Pediatric Medicine. This is a tribute to the UAE’s late founder, His Highness President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Each gift has catalyzed and sustained progress in pediatric medicine.