Gulf Heart Rhythm Society (GHRS)

In 1999 the GCC Health Ministers meeting in Geneva formed a “Heart disease committee” composed of GCC cardiologists and requested Dr. Hajar A. Hajar Albinali to chair it. The committee had its 1st meeting in Doha in February 2000 and planned a large GCC Cardiovascular Symposium in Doha.

In the year 2001, the GCC Health Ministers approved the committee’s recommendations including the proposed symposium in Doha, Qatar. So, Doha hosted the first GCC Cardiovascular Symposium on January 15 – 17, 2002

That historic conference provided an opportunity for Gulf cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and other cardiovascular specialists in the GCC states to meet, exchange ideas and build bridges for scientific and medical cooperation. During that meeting, we proposed to establish a professional society which we called Gulf Heart Association (GHA). The proposal was unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed by the entire group of cardiovascular specialists present during that meeting and so the GHA was born on January 16, 2002. Over three years the GHA became a landmark accomplishment for the GCC states.