Dr. Abdullah Sultan

Bariatric, Laparoscopic, Robotic Surgeon

Dr. Abdulaziz Ali Karam

Consultant General Surgeon specializing in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

Dr. Abdulaziz Karam is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Kuwait University and a Consultant General Surgeon specializing in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Foregut Surgery, and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.

He completed his General Surgery residency and advanced fellowship training in Minimally Invasive, Bariatric, and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at McGill University, Canada. He is board-certified in General Surgery in both Canada and the United States.

Dr. Karam is actively involved in surgical education, clinical research, and postgraduate training in Kuwait. He serves on several national surgical education and examination committees.

Dr. Carlos Abril

Staff Physician, General Surgery

Carlos M. Abril Vega, MD, PhD is a Consultant Staff Physician at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the Digestive Disease Institute, specializing in general and bariatric surgery. With a PhD from the University of Valladolid, Spain, Dr. Abril is also a Clinical Professor at Case Western Reserve University. He has extensive expertise in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, leading innovation in complex digestive procedures. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Abril has contributed to numerous international publications and conferences in the field of digestive and bariatric surgery.

Dr. Daniel Guerron

Consultant general and bariatric surgeon

Consultant general and bariatric surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE.

He completed his medical school at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and his surgical training at Cleveland Clinic and a fellowship in MIS gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery at Duke University.

He is the director of the Hernia and Core Health Center at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

As international speaker, He has published several original scientific articles and texts on hernia, laparoscopic, robotic and bariatric surgery.

Dr. John H. Rodriguez

Chief of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Digestive Disease Institute

Dr. John H. Rodriguez, MD, is Interim Institute Chief of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Digestive Disease Institute.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Rodriguez spent 13 years at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus in Cleveland, Ohio, US. Here, his work experience included Section Head of Surgical Endoscopy and Foregut Surgery, Director of the Center for Advanced Skills Training, and Surgical Director of the Gastroparesis Center.

Dr. Rodriguez obtained his medical degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. He received his medical training in the US, including a Research Fellowship at Emory University, where he focused on studying transplant virology. He joined Cleveland Clinic for General Surgery residency training as well as a fellowship in Flexible Surgical Endoscopy and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery.

Dr. Waleed Al Dhahi

Consultant in Endocrinology & Diabetes

Education & Training:

• 1991 – BSc in Basic Medical Sciences, Kuwait University
• 1994 – MD in Medicine & Surgery, Kuwait University
• 1996–1999 – Internal Medicine Residency, University of British Columbia
• 1999–2001 – Endocrinology Fellowship, University of British Columbia
• 2001–2003 – Clinical Diabetes Research Fellowship, Harvard Medical School – Joslin Diabetes Center
• 2000 – Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), Internal Medicine
• 2000 – Certified, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
• 2016 – Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Specialized in / Experienced In:

• Diabetes and Endocrinology (Clinical care, research, and education)
• Internal Medicine
• Advanced diabetes therapies (e.g., insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors)
• Cardiometabolic risk and lipoproteins
• Inflammatory mechanisms in diabetes and obesity

Dr. Asrar Sayed Hashim

Consultant in Endocrinology & Diabetology at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait.

• President of Kuwait Obesity Association.
• Graduate of Kuwait University, Faculty of Medicine.
• Certified by the Kuwaiti Institute for Medical Specialization (KIMS) Board of Internal Medicine & Fellowship program of Endocrine, Diabetes and Metabolic disorders.
• Post graduate diploma in obesity management, University of South Wales.

Dr. Anas Al Yousef

Consultant in Endocrinology & Diabetology at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait.

• Consultant in Internal Medicine & Nephrology
• BMBCh Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University 2002
• Canadian Board Certified in Internal Medicine, 2008 and in Nephrology, 2009 from University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Head of nephrology and dialysis centers at Amiri Hospital, Kuwait
• President of Kuwait Nephrology Association

Dr. Sandy Van

Obesity Physician & Psychotherapist, Founder, Haven Weight Management

Dr. Sandy Van is a licensed Family Physician, Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and GP Psychotherapist. She is the founder and Medical Director of Haven Weight Management, a virtual medical clinic dedicated to comprehensive obesity care. She also serves as an Obesity Physician at MEDCAN, an executive health clinic in Toronto, Ontario.

Her practice blends medical management with psychotherapy tools, helping individuals achieve sustainable weight loss and long-term health. Dr. Van is recognized as a leading voice in behavioural and medical treatment for obesity, with a career that includes global speaking engagements, professional consultation for healthcare providers, and frequent appearances on national television and radio.

Her mission is to advance the field of obesity medicine by integrating evidence-based pharmacotherapy with psychological strategies—shaping a model of care that reduces stigma and creates lasting change for patients.

Prof. Donna Ryan

Professor Emeritus Clinical Science

Donna Ryan MD is Professor Emerita at Pennington Biomedical in Baton Rouge, LA, USA, where she oversaw Clinical Research for 25 years. Her research interests included lifestyle intervention and diet for weight loss, and she was an investigator on NIH studies including POUNDS Lost, Look AHEAD, DPP, and DASH. She was Principal Investigator for the US Department of Defence for a series of awards which targeted military nutrition approaches to improve soldier readiness and performance. A particular research interest was improving primary care management of obesity and evaluating commercial approaches to weight management. She also studies the use of medications and devices to aid weight management. She was President of The Obesity Society and was designated Master of Obesity Medicine by the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She received The Obesity Society’s George Bray Founder’s Award (2013) and the George Blackburn Award (2019), was named Obesity Action Coalition Health Care Provider of the Year (2017) and was invited to give the Francisco Balmis Lecture (2019).

Prof. Carel Le Roux

Obesity and Metabolic Medicine

Professor Carel le Roux graduated from medical school in Pretoria South Africa, completed his specialist training in metabolic medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospitals and the Hammersmith Hospitals. He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London where he later took up a faculty position. He moved to University College Dublin for the Chair in Experimental Pathology and he is now the Director of the Metabolic Medicine Group. He is the coordinator of the Innovative Medicine Initiative SOPHIA project and previously received a President of Ireland Young Researcher Award, Irish Research Council Laurate Award, Clinician Scientist Award from the National Institute Health Research in the UK, and a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellowship for his work on how the gut talks to the brain.

Dr. Obaid Al Harbi

Obesity and Metabolic Medicine

Dr. Obaid Al Harbi is a Consultant in Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery and one of the leading names in this field in Kuwait and the Gulf region, with more than three decades of experience in bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, and general surgery. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, in 1995, and continued his academic journey by earning the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS) and the Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).

He currently serves as a Consultant Bariatric Surgeon at the Ministry of Health in Kuwait, a Visiting Consultant at Al Seef Hospital since 2010, and a Consultant Bariatric Surgeon at Dar Al-Baraa Medical Center since 2012. He previously worked as a Visiting Surgeon at Hadi Clinic and began his career as a House Officer at the NHS – South of Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom.

Dr. Thamer Al Essa

Consultant of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Taiba Hospital

Consultant and the Head of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital and a Clinical Staff at Dasman Diabetes Institute. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology. He is the Vice President of the Kuwait Osteoporosis Society.

Dr. Ebaa Al Ozairi

Chief Medical Officer at Dasman Diabetes Institute

Dr. Ebaa Al Ozairi is the Chief Medical Officer at Dasman Diabetes Institute, a consultant Diabetes, Endocrine and Nutrition and the President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist- Gulf Chapter, being first woman president among all Gulf Countries. Dr. Al Ozairi has completed her intercalated BMSc (hons) in molecular pathology at Dundee University (UK) and graduated from Aberdeen University (UK) for her medical undergraduate studies. Ebaa then joined Newcastle University (UK) for her specialist training in Diabetes and Endocrinology. During her postgraduate studies in UK, Dr Al Ozairi was awarded The Fulbright fellowship to Joslin Diabetes Institute, affiliates of Harvard medical school, Boston, USA. Her research interest includes diabetes education, technology and metabolic surgery.

Dr. Al Ozairi has been accredited by the Royal College of physician (UK) as a medical educator, and is an associate practitioner at the UK Higher Education National Academy having completed teaching fellowship. Dr A.l Ozairi has completed her Rabkin Fellowship in medical Education at Harvard Medical school. Ebaa has completed her fellowship in obesity and holds the American Board for Physician Nutrition Specialist and is a fellow at the American College of Nutrition. She also directs DAFNE type 1 diabetes education program and currently granted the training center for the Middle East. Dr. Al Ozairi is a reviewer for Diabetic Medicine, Obesity surgery, Practical International Diabetes and Clinical Endocrinology. She has 4 chapters in International books and an author in Medscape, bariatric times and Endodiabology and has several publications. Dr. Al Ozairi has won his highness the Amir Gold medal electronic award and the Arab regional award for e-technology for co-founding the most comprehensive Arabic Diabetes Website.

Dr. Khaled Alanezi

Obesity and Metabolic Medicine

• Bachelors Degree in Medicine and Surgery
• Bachelors Degree in Basic Medical Science
• Master Degree in General Surgery
• Consultant bariatric andgeneral surgeon, Canadian Board in surgery

Dr. Khaled Alyaqout

Fellowship-Trained Upper GI & Bariatric Surgery Consultant

• Director of Scholarship Office (Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations)
• General Secretary (Kuwait Association of Surgeons)

Dr. Mohamed Aljarallah

Obesity and Metabolic Medicine

• Bachelors Degree in Medicine and Surgery
• Bachelors Degree in Basic Medical Science
• Master Degree in General Surgery
• Consultant bariatric andgeneral surgeon, Canadian Board in surgery

Dr. Ismaiel Al-Jazzaf

Consultant - General Surgery

• Kuwaiti Board of General Surgery
• Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Obesity Diseases – Brazil
• Diploma in Surgical Endoscopy - Strasbourg - France

Dr. Sulaiman Almazeedi

Consultant General Surgery, Obesity Surgery, Colon & Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

• Fellowship in Advanced Upper GI and Bariatric Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
• Fellowship in Colorectal and Robotic Surgery, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
• Masters in Clinical Service Operations, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Khalid Alsarraf

Consultant General Surgery, Obesity Surgery, Colon & Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

• Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery June 1984- Kuwait
• Swedish Board in general Surgery December 1996, Lund University, Sweden
• Master in Pancreatic Surgery October 1996, Lund University, Sweden

Prof. Shaun Preston

consultant general and upper GI robotic surgeon

Professor Shaun Preston is a highly experienced consultant general and upper GI robotic surgeon based in Guildford and London, with a focus on oesophago-gastric surgery. He sees patients at Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital, Cromwell Hospital, HCA at The Shard, and London Bridge Hospital. His main areas of expertise include oesophageal and gastric cancer surgery, robotic and laparoscopic procedures, acid reflux, hiatal hernias, and endoscopy. He regularly treats conditions such as achalasia, Barrett’s oesophagus, gallstones, and hernias, using a patient-centred approach and minimally invasive techniques where appropriate.

Professor Preston has trained extensively in the UK and internationally. He completed his medical and surgical degrees at the University of Leeds, where he also earned a Doctorate in gastrointestinal cancer. He went on to train in high-volume oesophago-gastric units, including the Northern Oesophago-Gastric Unit in Newcastle and the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo.