Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi hosts 10th Operation Smile UAE cleft programme from 10 October

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will host its 10th Operation Smile UAE short-term cleft surgical programme from 10 to 12 October 2026, according to the Emirates News Agency.

The immediate value is for COOs, medical directors and finance heads. Dubai clinics under the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Abu Dhabi providers under the Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH), and northern emirates providers under the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) need a clear route for identifying cleft lip and cleft palate cases that may qualify for charitable surgery, then managing dental, speech and psychosocial follow-up after discharge.

What the programme covers

The October programme is the 19th cleft surgical programme run by Operation Smile UAE overall. WAM said the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi partnership began in 2017, and Operation Smile UAE was established in 2011. The charity has supported surgery for more than 4,000 patients in the UAE and internationally.

“Reaching our 10th surgical programme with Operation Smile UAE reflects nearly a decade of shared commitment.”
Dr. Mahdi Abdul Latif Shkoukani, head of otolaryngology, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

For patients, the headline is access. Operation Smile UAE says it provides free reconstructive surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lip and cleft palate during medical missions in the UAE. WAM said families resident in the UAE can contact the patient coordinator by email at [email protected] or WhatsApp at +971 50 595 5208 for programme details.

Why UAE operators should care

For Dubai hospitals and dental clinics, the programme is a referral and continuity-of-care issue. Cleft care is usually a pathway, with assessment, surgery, dental review, speech therapy and psychosocial support. A clinic that identifies a child in Dubai should document diagnosis, current insurance status, prior surgeries and speech or feeding concerns before referring the family to Operation Smile UAE.

For Abu Dhabi providers, DOH licensing matters because volunteer clinicians and host facilities need local approval. In an April 2026 WAM report on Operation Smile UAE's 18th programme at Healthpoint, DOH was named as the body supporting temporary medical licences and operational permits for volunteer medical professionals. That makes the regulatory model relevant for future missions in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

For payers, the issue is benefit design. Daman, Thiqa, Sukoon and other insurers may face claims related to diagnostics, pre-operative investigations, speech therapy, dentistry, orthodontics or post-operative complications. The surgery may be charitable, but the surrounding care may still touch insurance. Finance teams should verify coverage rules through insurer portals, policy wording and regulator-approved coding guidance instead of relying on public price lists.

• Clinics: screen for cleft lip, cleft palate, feeding difficulty, speech delay and prior repair history.
• Insurers: clarify whether dental, speech therapy and orthodontic follow-up are covered after charitable surgery.
• Hospitals: confirm transfer, anaesthesia, paediatric assessment and post-operative escalation protocols before referral.
• Families: use the Operation Smile UAE coordinator route before assuming a case is eligible.

What to watch next

The practical question is whether short-term surgical programmes become a more formal part of UAE cleft pathways. Dubai has the largest private outpatient market, so DHA-licensed paediatric, ENT, dental and speech therapy providers are likely to see the first identification opportunity. Abu Dhabi has the host capacity and DOH licensing model. Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain providers under MOHAP can support early detection and referral.

There is no reliable public UAE price range for cleft surgery that applies across emirates, insurers and case complexity. Operators should pull procedure tariffs from their contracted payer schedules, check pre-authorisation rules, and separate charitable surgical cost from chargeable diagnostics and follow-up. That distinction matters for families and for revenue-cycle teams.

For licensed hospitals, ENT units, oral and maxillofacial teams, paediatricians, dentists and speech therapists, the next step is a simple referral map. Confirm the regulator licence, payer process, clinical records needed, and post-operative follow-up owner. Patients and operators can also use the UAE Open Healthcare Directory to find licensed hospitals and providers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the northern emirates.