RIYADH: A team of specialist surgeons on Thursday began the delicate operation to separate Nigerian conjoined twins Hassana and Hassina at the King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children of the King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard in Riyadh. The 85-member multidisciplinary medical team will have 35 medical and surgical specialists as well as nursing and technical personnel and will be headed by Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah – who is advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The operation is being undertaken upon the directives of King Salman. Dr. Abdullah Alrabiah: "There are over 35 doctors on the medical and surgical team working to separate the Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Hussaina." #EKHNews_EN pic.twitter.com/sXfQVhGcpr — AlEkhbariya News (@EKHNews_EN) May 18, 2023 Hassana and Hassina, who were born in Kaduna, Nigeria on Jan. 12 last year share an abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, urinary and reproductive system and pelvic bones. Dr. Al-Rabeeah said the surgery was expected to be performed through eight stages and will take about 14 hours to completely separate the two. Successful Fourth Stage of Separation Surgery for Nigerian Conjoined Twins, Now in Stable Condition. #EKHNews_EN pic.twitter.com/uu0QLSw5KL — AlEkhbariya News (@EKHNews_EN) May 18, 2023 Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian program has previously supervised 130 cases from 23 countries over 33 years and separated 55 cases, and Hassana and Hassina’s case is the 56th.