The UAE is preparing to expand its national organ and tissue transplant programme to include face, hand, arm, uterus and intestine transplants as part of the next phase of the Hayat programme, the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues.
Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) also plans to expand tissue donation to include corneas, bones, skin and heart valves, while developing donation after circulatory death (DCD) to increase the availability of organs for transplantation.
Expanding Advanced Transplant Services
The planned face, hand and arm procedures fall under vascularised composite tissue transplantation, involving multiple types of tissue such as bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, nerves and skin. These highly complex procedures require specialised multidisciplinary teams and extensive post-transplant care and rehabilitation.
MoHAP has not yet announced when these procedures will begin in the UAE. They are currently listed as future priorities under the Hayat programme.
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New Framework for Non-Human and Manufactured Organs
The UAE is also developing a regulatory framework for non-human and manufactured organs and tissues. This includes animal organs as well as organs and tissues developed through 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering.
Under amendments to the UAE’s organ transplant law, the use of such organs will be subject to licensing, clinical and laboratory testing, biological compatibility assessments, safety and effectiveness requirements, and written informed consent.
A national database is also planned to record information related to non-human organs used for transplantation, including their sources, biological composition, clinical trial results, and safety and effectiveness data.
Strengthening Organ Donation
The Hayat programme plans to establish specialised organ donation units within hospitals, staffed by trained healthcare professionals who can identify potential donors, support families and coordinate donation processes.
The expansion aims to strengthen the UAE’s transplant infrastructure, increase access to organs and tissues, and prepare the country for emerging technologies and advanced transplantation approaches.
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While the UAE is establishing the medical and regulatory framework for these future services, it has not yet announced which animal organs could be used in patients or when xenotransplantation or manufactured-organ transplants could begin.
