Arabian Insights: PIBD in Saudi Arabia – with Dr Ali Zaidan

In this episode of THE pIBD DIGEST, we pack our virtual bags and head to Saudi Arabia to explore the evolving landscape of paediatric IBD. Our guide is Dr Ali Zaidan, paediatric gastroenterologist from Jeddah, who gives us an honest, practical view of what pIBD really looks like in day to day clinical practice. We talk about some uniquely important regional factors, including consanguinity and its impact on the IBD spectrum, and hear about the impressive immune dysregulation programme developed in collaboration with Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr Zaidan also shares insights from the structured paediatric GI fellowship programme he directs, alongside his pioneering work in education and training in PIBD. Thought provoking, informative, and refreshingly grounded, this episode reminds us that while PIBD may present differently across regions, curiosity, collaboration (and good conversations) are very much universal.