Professor Tbakhi will lead medical affairs, quality and patient safety, working with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to establish clinical policies, standards of practice and systems for measuring and improving patient outcomes. His remit also includes preparing medical staff for opening and supporting coordination across departments and specialties.

KUH has a ten-year affiliation with UCLA Health, supporting the development of its clinical services through international expertise in quality, patient safety, education and training.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Tbakhi said: “I am pleased to join Kingdom University Hospital at this important stage of its development. Our priority is to establish the clinical standards, teamwork and systems that will support safe, effective care from the outset. I look forward to working with colleagues across the hospital to support our healthcare teams, strengthen collaboration across specialties and make continuous improvement central to how we deliver and evaluate care.”

Professor Tbakhi brings extensive clinical and academic experience in pathology, molecular medicine, immunopathology, cell therapy, medical education and research. At King Hussein Cancer Center, he served as Chairman of the Department of Cell Therapy and Applied Genomics, Chairman of the Research Council, and Consultant in Molecular and Immunopathology. He also co-founded and co-directed the Cancer Care Informatics Program.

He completed his residency and fellowship training in the United States at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

In Canada, Professor Tbakhi serves as Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University. He also held leadership positions as Discipline Director for Hematology and Histocompatibility and Director of Cellular Therapy and Transplantation Processing Facilities within the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program at Hamilton Health Sciences.

KUH is being developed alongside Kingdom University of Health Sciences as part of an academic medical centre integrating patient care, medical education and research. Professor Tbakhi’s experience across these fields will support the development of the hospital’s clinical services and its teaching and research roles.