Video: How a brief visit to the UAE became a lifelong memory for an Iraqi doctor

“I was invited by Tawam Hospital in 1986 to check out their nuclear medicine department. I was briefed to look at the equipment, do some tests and make a proposal to expand the department. It was only a one-month ad hoc visit. But at the end of the duration , I received an offer from the hospital to join them permanently,” he said.

Today, decades later, with only two job changes behind him, Dr. Al-Suhaili is working at Burjeel Medical City in Mohammed bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, as Director and Consultant of Nuclear Medicine.

As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Al-Suhaili leads the nuclear medicine and densitometry specialty departments. He also participated in routine case referrals for nuclear medicine and densitometry investigations.

Dr. Al-Suhaili recalled his journey in the UAE; despite living in other countries such as the US, UK and Iraq, the UAE was ultimately his home.

“I boarded Gulf Air in November 1986. My flight landed at midnight. The UAE is gearing up for the 15th UAE National Day. Both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are brightly lit up for the festivities Get ready,” he said.

Before flying to Abu Dhabi, Al-Suhaili thought he was visiting the desert, he recalled. “So you can imagine how surprised I was to see how green Al Ain was. The day after I arrived, I was walking around the city – I saw how green the city was. The palm trees make The city looks so beautiful.

“A friend told me I was going to the edge of the empty area [a vast desert]. But when I got here, the city looked radiant and alive. The weather in November is so good that I don’t feel like I’m living in a desert. “

He added that as an Iraqi, he has a special connection to palm trees. “As Iraqis, palm trees are an integral part of our existence. In each of us, there is a soul that nurtures the seeds of palm trees. So I fell in love with the city of Al Ain, thanks to the beauty around it, said Dr Al-Suhaili.

Dr. Al-Suhaili said his visit was only a month, during which time he learned a lot about the UAE. “The UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed of the late Sultan Al Nahyan, had a vision. The UAE is also taking firm steps to develop as a nation. It’s very heartening to see that.”

“he [Sheikh Zayed] Said that hospitality and customer service are the top priorities in the UAE. I knew then that if there was a job opportunity I would consider it. Lo and behold, by the end of the month, I received a job offer. Before visiting the UAE, I went back to Kuwait where I live. From there I continued the Hajj. When I was in Mecca, I called my family to see how they were doing. My daughter said I got a call from Tawam Hospital and I have called back. I called them and they gave me an offer I couldn’t resist. As they say, the rest is history,” Al-Suhaili said.

During his one-month stay, he realized what a tight-knit community we live in.

“The hospital has taken good care of me. At my residence, I will find pre-prepared meals in the refrigerator. A fresh water bottle by my bed. A list of numbers to contact. A small book that introduces me to community customs and culture. Brochure, as well as a full map of Al Ain city. I was moved. As an Arab from a tribal background, I was struck by a sense of belonging. It was like going back to my tribal origins and I was worried about my stay in Europe and America Lost in the period. In the UAE, my roots are deeper.”

On July 29, 1987, Dr. Al-Suhaili assumed his new position at Tawam Hospital. He also holds a part-time position as an assistant professor at the Emirates University School of Medicine.

He recalled spending every Thursday at a friend’s meeting. “We pray Juma [Friday] After falconry training, they prayed together and stayed up late on their farm. We drove through the desert dunes and spent the night around a campfire until 3am. Since I left Al Ain for Dubai in 2004, my friends have been kind to me and promised that whenever I visit them again in Al Ain, their doors will always be open. “

Dr. Al-Suhaili received his professional qualifications worldwide. In addition to holding an MB and Ch.B. from the Egyptian Medical College, he also holds a Master of Science from the University of London, UK; a European Commission of Nuclear Medicine qualification from Austria; and another advanced qualification from the Asian Academy of Nuclear Medicine, Japan. He is a certified member of the UAE, Austria, US, UK, Korean and Australian Medical Associations, and is the current President of the UAE Osteoporosis Society (EOS) and past President of the Pan Arab Osteoporosis Society (PAOS).

After completing his residency in Radiology and Atomic Medicine in Iraq, Dr. Al-Suhaili worked at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the US on a US Fellowship and a Postgraduate Fellowship at the University of London. After a successful career with several exceptional achievements at Hammersmith Hospital, UK, he held a senior teaching position at the University of the Emirates Medical School as an Assistant Professor.

During this period, he was also selected as a reviewer for the Asian Nuclear Medicine Board Certification (ANMB) in Japan, Korea and the People’s Republic of China. Al Suhaili performed breakthrough interventions in radio-guided surgery, high-dose radioactive iodine thyroid ablation, and bone density transfusions in children with thalassemia.

He said he was the first professional in the UAE to be appointed as a nuclear medicine physician; he pioneered bone mineral densitometry in the UAE and received an award from the Emirates Medical Association. Dr. Al-Suhaili, a prolific author and speaker in English and Arabic, has been very active in promoting his chosen medical specialty through seminars, panel discussions, interviews, and through international medical journals and other forums. He is also considered a good mentor for the upcoming careers of medical professionals.

Dr Al-Suhaili said he was enthusiastic about the Trance-Arterial Radionecluide Embulisation. “This is the treatment of certain cancers by injecting radioactive particles directly into the tumor. Currently, I am presenting this procedure at the Burjeel Medical City in Mohamed Bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi. I am sure it will be successful.”

During the years living in the UAE, Dr. Al-Suhaili said he is very grateful to his family for growing up in the UAE. His wife Nada Naji and their five children – Yosor Al-Suhaili, Dr. Zaid Abdul Rahim Al-Suhaili, Lena Al Suhaili, Ibrahim Al-Suhaili and Dana Al-Suhaili – have made the UAE their home. “I have lived in many countries, but finally felt at home in the UAE.”