8th East Mediterranean Epilepsy Congress & 14th Saudi Epilepsy Society Congress
The 8th Eastern Mediterranean Epilepsy Congress (EMEC), held jointly with the 14th Saudi Epilepsy Society Congress, takes place 29–31 October 2026 at the Sofitel Al Khobar The Corniche, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The meeting is convened under the patronage of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and in collaboration with the Saudi Epilepsy Society (SES), bringing together global and regional leaders dedicated to advancing the science of epilepsy and neuroscience across clinical, research and academic disciplines.
Scientific scope
Over three days, the congress delivers a dynamic scientific programme of state-of-the-art lectures, hands-on workshops and interactive discussions. Content covers the full arc of modern epilepsy care: diagnosis and classification, EEG and advanced neurophysiology, structural and functional neuroimaging, epilepsy genetics, presurgical evaluation and epilepsy surgery, neuromodulation, and emerging therapeutic innovations including new antiseizure medications and precision approaches to the developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.
A distinguishing feature of EMEC is its deliberate focus on the intersection of neurology and neuroscience — sessions explore epileptic network behaviour, brain research methodology and translational work that connects laboratory findings with bedside decisions. This makes the congress relevant not only to adult and pediatric neurologists and epileptologists, but also to neurosurgeons, neurophysiology technologists, neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, clinical pharmacists, epilepsy nurses, residents and fellows.
Call for abstracts
Abstract submission is open, with a deadline of 1 October 2026. The organisers encourage original research, case series and quality-improvement work from across the Eastern Mediterranean region; accepted abstracts are presented during the congress, giving trainees and early-career researchers direct exposure to an international faculty.
Regional significance
Epilepsy care in the Eastern Mediterranean region faces distinct challenges — diagnostic delay, uneven access to epilepsy surgery and long-term EEG monitoring, medication availability, and persistent social stigma. EMEC exists in large part to close those gaps: by pairing international guideline-level science with regionally grounded practice discussion, it builds the referral networks and shared standards that individual centres cannot build alone. Hosting the meeting in Al Khobar also puts it within easy reach of clinicians across Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the wider Gulf.
For Saudi-based practitioners, the joint format with the 14th Saudi Epilepsy Society Congress means national practice updates and international perspective land in a single trip. Full programme details and registration are available on the official congress website.
