Cairo: The UAE has committed an additional Dh220 million to support the expansion of the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, a medical initiative aimed at providing free cardiovascular care. The new Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo will be named in honour of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and will significantly boost the centre’s capacity.
The expanded facility will be able to handle 120,000 outpatients annually, perform 12,000 surgeries and provide care to a total of 132,000 patients each year.
This financial pledge will "provide a vital lifeline to thousands across the region," said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence.
An agreement to formalize the additional funding was signed between the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation.
Sheikh Hamdan announced on social media platform X that “the UAE will provide Dh220 million worth of additional support to the foundation,” bringing the total support from MBR Initiatives to Dh320 million.
The new hospital project in Cairo, led by renowned heart surgeon and philanthropist Sir Magdi Yacoub, will open on October 6. Spanning 37 acres, the complex will feature 300 beds and 36 outpatient clinics, providing essential care to patients from across the Arab world, particularly newborns with congenital heart defects, aiming to increase their chances of leading healthy lives by 95 per cent.
The expansion aligns with the UAE's leadership vision of making a positive impact on people’s lives and spreading hope. The centre is also set to become the Middle East’s largest dedicated cardiac research and innovation hub, with a goal of training 1,750 healthcare professionals annually and tripling the number of graduates to 2,625.
Founded in 2008, the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation was established by Sir Magdi Yacoub to offer free medical services to Egypt's underprivileged communities. Sir Magdi Yacoub, a highly respected surgeon in Egypt and a British citizen, has received multiple accolades for his humanitarian work, including a British knighthood, the Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II and Egypt’s Grand Order of the Nile. He was also honoured with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity this year.
The foundation has been instrumental in providing heart surgeries and specialised medical care across the region, and its team from the Aswan Heart Centre will soon join the new Cairo facility. The Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation also extends its efforts beyond Egypt, with cardiac centres established in Ethiopia and Mozambique, and a new centre currently under construction in Kigali, Rwanda.