KUWAIT: In a joint press statement, the Ministry of Health (MOH), Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, Zain Kuwait-the country’s leading telecom operator and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) announced that Kuwait has been awarded a new Guinness World Records title for the longest distance between a patient and a surgeon. The recognition by Guinness was achieved through a recent remote robotic surgery performed by the surgical team at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital on a patient in Brazil, across a record distance that exceeded 12,000 kilometers.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at Zain’s headquarters in Shuwaikh, attended by Minister of Health Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Director General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) Dr Ameenah Rajab Farhan, Zain Kuwait CEO Nawaf Al-Gharabally and the Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital surgical team led by Dr Sulaiman Almazeedi, Dr Mohannad Alhaddad and Dr Hmoud Alrashidi.

During the conference, the official representative of Guinness World Records presented record certificates to the Minister of Health, the surgical team, Zain and KFAS, stating that surgical teams operating from Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in Kuwait and from SCOLLA at Hospital Cruz Vermelha in Brazil officially attained the feat.

Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi speaks during the press conference.

Dr Ameenah Farhan delivers her remarks.

Nawaf Al-Gharabally speaks at the event.

This accomplishment underscores Kuwait’s pioneering role in the field of remote digital surgery, relying on the latest medical technologies and Zain’s state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure to deliver a global first. Minister Al-Awadhi said: “Kuwait’s inclusion in the Guinness World Records with a medical and technological achievement of this magnitude is not merely a global record. It is a clear message that our national healthcare system is capable of standing at the forefront globally.”

He added: “Our medical professionals have proven that when will is paired with science and technology, it breaks geographic barriers and makes Kuwait a global platform for medical innovation. This success is the fruit of the wise guidance and continued support of the nation’s leadership and it reflects a collective effort that brought together medical, technical and administrative teams in partnership with Zain and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, so that the human being remains the goal and purpose of everything we do.”

Director General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences Dr Farhan said: “It gives me great joy to write these words, words of innovation that span continents and transcend distances, as we celebrate a national achievement that places Kuwait on the map of global medical leadership with a world record in robotic surgery. The distance between the surgeon and the patient exceeded 12,000 kilometers, which feels almost like fiction. It is an accomplishment that embodies the value of innovation when coupled with national medical excellence and advanced connectivity infrastructure, all in service of human health.”

She added: “The Ministry of Health team, in partnership with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Zain, has proven that creativity, knowledge, and technology can come together to create historic impact. This success is not merely a technical feat or a record, but a clear message that investment in science and innovation directly improves people’s lives and health.”

She continued: “It is also a practical model that reflects the Foundation’s commitment to the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and his trusted Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, as well as the guidance of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah.”

She affirmed: “What we are witnessing today is a translation of the foundation’s strategy based on practical, applicable innovation. It is a living example of turning that strategy into reality by empowering national talent and advancing health as one of its core pillars.”

She concluded: “On this occasion, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Health for its continued support, to the brilliant medical team whose spirit and determination embodied the meaning of national leadership, and to Zain for its initiative and support. At KFAS, we reaffirm our commitment to being an active partner in every initiative that positions Kuwait at the forefront of scientific progress and innovation.”

Nawaf Al-Gharabally, Chief Executive Officer at Zain Kuwait, said: “This achievement is not only a world record. It is a serious step toward a thriving digital future in which we harness technology to serve people, from Kuwait to the world. It also reflects the purpose we have embraced at Zain to deliver ‘Lasting Connections and Better Lives,’ showcasing technology’s impact on people’s lives, under our new 4WARD strategy led by Zain Group Vice Chairman and CEO Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, whose unlimited support was pivotal to this success.”

He added: “We are delighted to be an active part of this global medical achievement. Zain’s contribution alongside national institutions reaffirms our leadership in driving digital transformation in the healthcare sector. It is compelling evidence that Kuwait has the talent and capabilities to lead a new era in which geographic borders give way to the power of technological innovation.”

Al-Gharabally continued: “Zain’s role as a leading provider of digital infrastructure drove us to deploy our advanced technologies in cross-continental connectivity, delivering ultra-fast response times that ensured the success of this transcontinental surgical procedure.” He explained: “With this major step, Kuwait demonstrates that the future of digital medicine is supported by all state institutions and by strategic partnerships that bring together science and technology in the service of humanity.”

He stated: “Our fruitful collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the medical team at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital is a model partnership between the technology sector and national healthcare institutions. Our digital infrastructure and advanced network played a decisive role in providing a stable, instant connection that enabled a highly precise and reliable robotic surgery.”

Al-Gharabally affirmed: “We are confident this historic achievement opens wide the door for the growth of digital medicine in Kuwait and across the region, and it strengthens the state’s vision to push the frontiers of technology for the greatest human benefit. Technology is not merely a set of tools; it is a bridge that builds connections and brings distances closer.”

Saud Al-Fawzan, Vice Chairman of SADITA Holding and AUMET, said: “We are honored today to receive the Guinness World Records title for the world’s longest remote surgery. This achievement affirms that the future begins when we break boundaries and harness creativity. Our vision at AUMET is to embrace every technological revolution, from robotic surgical systems to artificial intelligence, to create healthcare without limits.”

Record-breaking distance

Zain has also shared a statement from Guinness World Records: “On September 23, 2025, surgical teams operating from Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in Kuwait and SCOLLA in Hospital Cruz Vermelha in Brazil performed a series of robotic tele-surgery operations across a record-breaking distance of 12,034.92 km (7,480 miles) each way. The procedures were inguinal TAPP (transabdominal preperitoneal) repair, carried out using advanced robotic surgical systems connected over a secured high-bandwidth international network provided by Zain Telecommunications and supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).”

The statement continued: “The operations were made possible through the collaboration of surgeons and scientists from Edge Medical and AUMET who successfully completed the surgery with an average latency of 199 milliseconds, an average bandwidth of 80 Mbps and a packet loss of just 0.19 percent. Both operations were completed successfully and safely, underscoring the feasibility of global collaboration in surgical care and setting a new benchmark in the field of remote robotic surgery. The surgeons were Dr Sulaiman Almazeedi, Dr Marcelo Loureiro, Dr Mohannad Alhaddad, Dr Ahmed Karim, Dr Hmoud Alrashidi and Dr Leandro Totti Cavazzola.”

Zain’s role

The project faced major technical challenges that required ensuring a fast and stable network connection between the two continents to avoid any delay that could affect the surgical workflow. Zain provided the communications infrastructure through advanced international MPLS technology, enabling a secure, high-speed link between Kuwait and Brazil.

As a result, the latency between surgeon and patient was under 0.2 seconds only, approximately 199 milliseconds, throughout the procedure. This record-low latency allowed the surgeons to control the robot almost in real time despite the vast distance. The highly reliable connection was a decisive factor in ensuring smooth, uninterrupted remote surgery, proving that Kuwait’s infrastructure is ready to support global digital medical innovations.