Filipino conjoined twin sisters Klea and Maurice Ann are set to be separated in a surgery fully funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a statement on Friday, the Saudi Arabian embassy in Manila said the twins and their parents will depart for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 17 May, where they will receive specialized medical care at King Abdulaziz Medical City under the Ministry of National Guard.

“Their case will be overseen by the esteemed medical and surgical team led by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center,” the embassy said.

On Thursday, Ambassador Faisal Ebraheem Alghamdi of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of the Philippines welcomed the twins and their parents in their courtesy call prior to their departure for Saudi Arabia.

The surgery will be funded by Saudi Arabia under the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The Saudi Conjoined Twins Separation Program has successfully separated more than 140 children from various countries since its launch in 1990.

“Since its inception in 1990, the program has successfully performed over 146 separation surgeries for conjoined twins from 27 brotherly and friendly nations, further affirming the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to serving humanity, promoting compassion and solidarity, and supporting vulnerable communities wherever they may be,” the embassy said.

Klea and Maurice Ann are the third set of Filipino conjoined twins treated under the pioneering program, “reflecting the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines,” according to the embassy.

The Saudi Arabian embassy likewise stressed the continuing program “reaffirms the Kingdom’s dedication to fostering international cooperation in health and humanitarian causes, guided by the core values it champions globally.”

“It also underscores the spirit of shared cooperation in health and humanitarian affairs, anchored on the noble values and principles that the Kingdom advocates both regionally and globally,” it added.

In June last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced the successful separation surgery of conjoined twin sisters Ayeesha and Akhizah Yusoph at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Through this initiative, the Kingdom reaffirms its global mission in the fields of humanitarian aid and development rooted in its steadfast principles and inspired by its ambitious vision to advance global health and achieve sustainable development,” the embassy said.