โ is designed to be the national and regional leader in advancing child health. to create a brand that positions it as the national and regional leader in advancing child health. CHILDEX is built to stand alongside the worldโs most recognized healthcare event brands while owning territory that no other conference in the world currently claims.
Child Health Innovation, Leadership, Development & Excellence eXchange โ is designed to be the national and regional leader in advancing child health.
Our speakers are not just presenting research. They are launching national databases, unveiling genomic programs, showcasing innovations, and presenting blueprints for what child health will look like in the Kingdom by 2030.
Every letter carries meaning:
C โ Child at the center of everything
H โ Health in its broadest sense
I โ Innovation being built and reimagined
L โ Leadership
D โ Development of child and nation
E โ Excellence demonstrated
X โ eXchange of knowledge and vision
Dear Esteemed Colleagues and Friends,
On behalf of the Health Services Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, it is my pleasure to welcome you to CHILDEX: Origins
The launch of CHILDEX represents the commitment of our healthcare institutions to world-class pediatric care. Every child who enters our hospital deserves precision, innovation, and compassion โ and this conference is where we ensure that promise becomes reality.
We have assembled an extraordinary faculty of international and Saudi experts who will not only share their knowledge but also unveil national projects and databases that will transform how we care for children across the Kingdom.
Maj. Gen. Dr. Ibrahim M. Alnasser
CEO of King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah
Dear Colleagues,
It is my honor to welcome you to the inaugural edition of CHILDEX: Origins โ the first global conference on Child Health Innovation, Leadership, Development and Excellence. This conference represents a pivotal moment for pediatric medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For the first time, we are bringing together Saudi and international faculty under a unified vision: to build the future of child health, one project at a time.
CHILDEX is not merely a meeting. It is the beginning of a movement โ a movement where Saudi clinicians step forward not as leaders and as builders of national health assets.
I invite you to engage fully with every session, every workshop, and every conversation. What begins here at Origins will shape the next decade of child health in our Kingdom.
Col. Dr. Adeeb T. Khawaji
Director of Pediatric Department, KFAFH, Jeddah
PRE-CONFERENCE ยท 25-26 OCTOBER
Small-group, hands-on training led by international and national faculty.
Add a Golden or Silver workshop to your registration.
Golden Workshop
Point-of-care ultrasound for pediatricians and neonatologists โ cardiac, lung, abdominal, and vascular access across four hands-on modules with simulation.
Golden Workshop
A practical foundation in pediatric and neonatal EEG โ normal patterns, seizure recognition, artifacts, and amplitude-integrated EEG in the NICU.
Silver Workshop
Your writing companion โ formulate questions, search the literature, structure manuscripts, and leave with a polished abstract draft.
Silver Workshop
Recognize, document, and report suspected abuse within the Saudi legal framework โ case-based, simulation-focused, and protocol-driven.
Silver Workshop
Sharpen pediatric image interpretation โ neonatal chest, abdominal imaging, and neuroimaging red flags in a rapid-fire, case-rich format.
Silver Workshop
Neonatal and pediatric ventilation, from NIV to HFOV โ expert talks followed by hands-on ventilator workshops.
Workshop places are limited and allocated first-come. Bundle one with your conference pass to save.
Dr. Tabarki completed his medical school at University of Tunisia and his residencies in pediatrics, pediatric neurology, and neurophysiology at Paris V University, France, and UCL-Brussels, Belgium. His currently Professor and consultant pediatric neurology, universities of Alfaisal, Riyadh and Sousse (Tunisia). His fields of clinical and research interest include epilepsy,
Dr. Maher Shahroor is a neonatologist, and Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto, based at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. His clinical and research interests focus on neonatal respiratory medicine, targeted neonatal echocardiography (TNE), neonatal hemodynamics, and cardiopulmonary (lungโheart) interactions, with the goal of improving outcomes for premature
Professor of Pediatrics, Chair of the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine of the Schulich School of Medicine, The University of Western Ontario. Also, the Director of Children’s Health Research Institute, Canada Research Chair in Maternal and Fetal Health and Douglas and Vivian Bocking Chair in Fetal and Newborn Growth. Internationally recognized
Dr. Karen Choong is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Critical Care, and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University. She is a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and completed fellowships in Neonatology as well as Pediatric Critical Care at
Dr. R. Christopher Tomlinson, MB ChB, BSc, PhD, is Division Head of Neonatology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, and Associate Professor in the Departments of Paediatrics and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. He is also the Womens Auxiliary Chair in Neonatology and Academic Lead
Dr. Grace van Leeuwen, MD, MSc, is Medical Director of the ECMO Program and Senior Attending Physician in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care at Sidra Medicine (Qatar), and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine โ Qatar. She leads neonatal and pediatric ECMO transport services at the regionโs national
Diane is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, with over 35 years of experience in Neonatology and over 10 years in Neonatal Neurology. Her primary role is in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, where she is the Program Lead for Neonatal Neurocritical Care. Diane works
Dr. Narvey began his training in Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where he completed a year of further training in Neonatology. This was followed by two years of Neonatal fellowship at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Afterwards he began his career as a Neonatologist in the
Countdown Expired!
The seats are limited and the registration date will be closed very soon. So hurry up!
Excellence Recognition Program
Awards will be presented at the closing ceremony. Winners must be present to receive their award.
Hands-On Learning ยท Jeddah, KSA ยท May 2 โ 3, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026 ยท Hilton Jeddah
Sunday, May 3, 2026 ยท Hilton Jeddah