The 2nd GCC Pediatric Associations Conference takes place on 20–21 November 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait (Al Bidaa Ballroom), bringing together pediatric experts, physicians, and healthcare professionals from across the Gulf region and beyond.
Organized under the umbrella of the GCC Pediatric Association together with the Kuwait Medical Association, the conference marks a regional milestone: for the first time, the pediatric associations of all six GCC states — Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman — convene on a single scientific platform. Participating institutions include the Kuwait Ministry of Health, the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations (KIMS), Sidra Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, King's College London, Children's National Hospital, and Sant Joan de Déu.
The scientific program runs across three parallel tracks over two days. Track 1 (Al Bidaa Ballroom) covers the latest in pediatric infectious diseases — including the epidemiology and management of RSV — asthma updates, childhood obesity, neuroimmunology, adolescent health in the social media and AI era, syncope and sudden cardiac death risk, preventive screening, neonatal care advances, refractory iron-deficiency anemia, antibiotic stewardship, pediatric rheumatology red flags, genetic testing, surgical emergencies, accidental poisonings, and pediatric bone marrow transplantation. Track 2 hosts hands-on workshops: a pediatric dermatology diagnostic challenge, recognizing non-epileptic events in children, pediatric imaging red flags, metabolic red flags in neonates, failure to thrive, the growing skeleton, ADHD and autism, and everyday pediatric GI symptoms. Track 3 features a Sickle Cell Disease patients and family education workshop and a TPN (total parenteral nutrition) workshop.
The faculty draws on distinguished speakers from every GCC state alongside international experts, including Prof. Muslim Alsaadi (Conference Chair, President of the Saudi Pediatric Association), Dr. Sondus Al-Sharidah (President, GCC Pediatric Association), Dr. Ahmad Al Hammadi (CEO of Sidra Medicine and Chair of the Scientific Committee), Dr. Aisha Alkhaaldi (UAE), Dr. Khoula Al Said (Oman), Dr. Entesar Al Hammadi (UAE), Dr. Majid Alfadhel (KSA), Dr. Aya Abu-Elhaija (Harvard Medical School/Boston Children's), and many more.
The conference is CME accredited, with accreditation points to be announced. Registration is open at a flat rate of 10 KWD. A call for abstracts is open until 10 November 2026, accepting oral presentations (8–10 minutes) and e-poster presentations across all pediatric subspecialties.
Whether you are a general pediatrician, a subspecialist, a trainee, or an allied health professional, the 2nd GCC Pediatric Associations Conference offers a comprehensive update on child health and a unique opportunity to build collaborations across the Gulf.
