UAE pilot-opens advanced medical training center at MBZ Field Hospital in Syria

The United Arab Emirates has strengthened medical capacity in Syria with the pilot opening of the Jaheziya Simulation Centre at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Field Hospital, under the Syrian-Emirati Program for Medical Readiness and Response, WAM reported.

The center is a fully integrated medical training and research facility that uses advanced clinical simulation and is the first of its kind in Syria accredited by the European Centre for Disaster Medicine, placing it among internationally recognized institutions.

The Jaheziya Simulation Centre expands services at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Field Hospital, which serves the Ghouta region and large areas of Rural Damascus, covering nearly one million people. The hospital has a capacity of 135 beds, including 40 intensive care units, and is equipped with radiology, CT scanning, laboratory services, intensive care facilities and a pharmacy.

The initiative supports the Syrian Ministry of Health’s vision to enhance academic education and continuous professional training in healthcare in line with international standards, while strengthening Jaheziya Syria’s role as a regional medical education hub.

Dr. Iyad Baath, President of the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialties, said simulation-based education is among the most effective learning methods, enabling trainees to retain practical experience and apply it across clinical disciplines.

From the UAE side, Dr. Adel Al-Shamry Al-Ajmi, Chief Executive Officer of the Zayed Giving Initiative and the UAE National Medical Readiness and Response Program “Jaheziya”, said the center includes a conference and lecture hall and six specialized training units simulating emergency departments, intensive care units, operating theatres and anesthesia units, in addition to a command-and-control unit for hospital operations.

He added that the center employs simulation technologies, virtual reality and artificial intelligence to train healthcare teams in emergency response, disaster medicine, intensive care and surgery, in line with the highest international standards.

The program aims to train 10,000 healthcare and non-healthcare professionals, contributing to the unification of professional medical training standards across public and private hospitals in Syria.

Operating under Syrian health regulations and oversight, the program is accredited by the European Centre for Disaster Medicine, alongside several American and European training institutions.

Dr. Al-Shamry said the center’s launch follows a successful one-month pilot phase, during which more than 600 doctors, nurses and paramedics from Ministry of Health hospitals were trained. Over 20 Syrian medical professionals were also certified as trainers to manage and operate the center.

Dr. Asaad Sharaf Al-Din, President of Syrian Doctors, said the pilot phase included scientific lectures, workshops, specialized courses and live field exercises in emergency and risk medicine. Training was delivered by senior experts from the UAE, Syria, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy and other countries, all accredited by the European Centre for Disaster Medicine and the Jaheziya Academy.