Kuwait Claims Record-Breaking Remote Robotic Surgery

Kuwait claimed a new Guinness World Record for the longest-distance remote robotic surgery. The surgery was powered by a high-speed international network from telecoms operator Zain.

The operation, a hernia repair, was carried out from Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital in Kuwait on a patient in Sao Paulo, Brazil, more than 12,000km away, in what is now the furthest intercontinental robotic surgery ever recorded. The tele-surgery relied on Zain’s MPLS infrastructure to deliver near real-time connectivity.

The operator explained that network performance was critical to the surgery’s success, with low latency, high speed, and minimal packet loss essential to ensuring surgical precision. “Our digital infrastructure and advanced network played a decisive role in providing a stable, instant connection that enabled a highly precise and reliable robotic surgery,” noted Nawaf Al-Gharabally, CEO at Zain Kuwait. He hailed the milestone as a serious step toward a thriving digital future.

The Ministry of Health confirmed the feat, crediting collaboration between government, telco, and scientific partners. The procedure was completed by a joint team of Kuwaiti and Brazilian surgeons using robotic systems supported by UK-based medical device player Edge Medical and Arab healthcare technology company Aumet. Ameenah Rajab Farhan, DG of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, said the record, which“feels almost like fiction, positions the country at the forefront of scientific progress and innovation.