DHAHRAN — The US Commercial Service at US Consulate General Dhahran organized on Sunday a Health Care Diwaniya in honor of Houston Methodist which took place at the Kempinski Hotel, Dammam.

The event was attended by a range of dignitaries, including keynote speaker Consul General David Edginton and Ms. Summer Dajani, vice president for global & platinum patient services at Houston Methodist.

The program acknowledged Houston Methodist's patients in attendance and featured presentations by Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial, director of the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center and Dr. Maen Abdelrahim, transplant oncologist and section chief of GI medical oncology at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Ghobrial shared the evolution of transplantation, highlighting Houston Methodist’s innovative approach to living donor liver transplant. Dr. Abdelrahim provided insights on the importance of liver health and avoiding liver disease.

Keynote Speaker Edginton said: “We are excited to work with Houston Methodist in areas linked to raising healthcare awareness. This is a true demonstration for US healthcare provider’s commitment to the Kingdom.

“This event’s themes bring together health care experts across various disciplines and assist in raising awareness of best practices for the local community. We are thrilled to have hosted this unique health care diwaniya from the Eastern Province. This is a testament for the capability of primary US health care providers for our Saudi partners.

Keynote speaker Summer Dajani said: “I’m delighted to meet and connect with our patients and strategic partners in the Eastern Province. At Houston Methodist we are committed to delivering on our promise of Leading Medicine.

“We are thankful to the US Consulate in Dhahran for hosting this diwaniya and we look forward to expanding our collaboration with our partners in Saudi Arabia.”

Najla Al Hudaib, Houston Methodist senior country manager for Saudi Arabia and Qatar said: “We are honored to be a strategic partner to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we are proud to be one of the few US healthcare systems offering Saudi patients dedicated services to help support them throughout their medical journey from Saudi Arabia to Houston.

“As we continue our cooperation with strategic partners across the Kingdom, we are committed to translating Houston Methodist’s world standards in medical care into the Saudi health care sector.”

The diwaniya sought to raise healthcare awareness in prevention topics and reconnect with the community and Houston Methodist patients. The informative presentations contributed to the council’s social corporate responsibility efforts of giving back to the community from a primary US healthcare provider.