Qatar=Cornell, UAE=Harvard, Saudi=Hopkins, Bahrain=RCSI, Kuwait=Nothing

As I was browsing through medical news today, the headline 'Leading Ophthalmological Centres In The United States and Saudi Arabia Announce Affiliation' caught my eye. Apparently, the Wilmer Eye Institue of John Hopkins (which has held the top spot in USNews' annual hospital ranking since 1990) will be collaborating with King Khaled Specialist Eye Hospital in Riyadh in the following areas: patient care, education and research. Click here to read article

How come every country in the Gulf, except Kuwait, is setting up international medical collaborations? Qatar has an Ivy League medical school, Dubai has Harvard Research Foundation, plus Tawam Hospital has a John Hopkins affiliation and even Bahrain has the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. We got zip!

The opportunities such collaborations would open up for patients and doctors are invaluable. Does anyone know why we are so behind?