The First Edition

CHILDEX

Origins ~

Child Health Innovation, Leadership, Development & Excellence eXchange

25–29 October 2026 Hilton Jeddah · Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
CME Accredited Hybrid · In-Person & Virtual English 20+ Countries
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About the Conference

Every letter carries meaning.

CHILDEX is built to be the national and regional leader in advancing child health. Its faculty don't simply present research — they launch national databases, unveil genomic programs, and set the blueprint for what child health in the Kingdom will look like by 2030.

  • CChildat the center of everything
  • HHealthin its broadest sense
  • IInnovationbeing built and reimagined
  • LLeadershipfor the next generation
  • DDevelopmentof child and nation
  • EExcellencedemonstrated and shared
  • XeXchangeof knowledge and vision

"What are you building for the children of this nation?"

The first edition — Origins — establishes the CHILDEX brand, launches landmark national projects, and brings Saudi and international faculty together under one shared vision. Five pillars hold it together:

HealthInnovationLeadershipDevelopmenteXchange
Why We Gather

Six objectives, one mission

A focused agenda for pediatric and neonatal care across the Kingdom — and the region.

Advance Precision Medicine

Pioneer precision approaches in pediatric and neonatal care across the Kingdom.

Foster Collaboration

Unite Saudi and international faculty under one shared vision for child health.

Showcase Innovation

Unveil national databases, genomic programs, and cutting-edge technologies.

Launch National Projects

Debut landmark initiatives including EpiGene and national pediatric registries.

Develop Future Leaders

Hands-on workshops and mentorship for the next generation of child-health leaders.

Build a Research Network

Create a unified Saudi child-health research ecosystem connecting centers nationwide.

Scientific Themes

Eight themes that connect the disciplines

Every session is framed by a theme — a thread that ties clinical fields into one story of child health.

National Vision

BluePrint

National child-health vision, Saudi data, and the launch of landmark projects.

Neonatal

FirstBreath

The first hours of life — delivery-room decisions, NICU dilemmas, and neonatal nutrition.

Neurodevelopment

MindGrow

The complex child — ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, seizures, and development.

Technology

CyberCrib

Technology at the bedside — smart monitors, AI in the NICU, and digital ventilation.

Hidden Systems

GutFeeling

Nutrition, obesity, food allergy, and the microbiome — the body's hidden systems.

Critical Care

CodeBlue

When minutes matter — sepsis, seizures, the acute abdomen, and emergency decisions.

Precision Therapeutics

GeneCode

Precision therapeutics and the next frontier — gene therapy and genomic screening.

Survivorship

LifeLine

Chronic-disease survival, palliative transitions, childhood cancer, and family resilience.

Who Should Attend

Designed for everyone devoted to child health

General Pediatricians

Practical sessions for the clinical challenges you face every week.

Neonatologists

Delivery-room decisions, NICU technology, and evidence-based neonatal care.

Pediatric Subspecialists

Neurology, gastroenterology, emergency, genetics, and oncology.

Residents & Fellows

Hands-on workshops, mentorship, and the Young Investigator Award.

Nurses & Allied Health

NICU care, child protection, and family-centered practice.

Researchers & Academics

AI-powered research writing and national database launches.

Healthcare Leaders

Vision 2030 panels, national program launches, and partnerships.

International Faculty

Experts from 20+ countries in precision medicine, AI, and neonatal care.

Scientific Program

Five days. Ten tracks. One blueprint.

Two days of hands-on workshops, then three days of plenary and scientific sessions.

Pre-Conference · Sun–Mon

Hands-On Workshops

Two full days of skills training — limited seats, certificate on completion. Morning 08:30–12:30 · Afternoon 14:00–18:00.

  • GoldenPOCUS · Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Pediatricians & Neonatologists — cardiac, lung, abdominal & vascular access, with simulation
  • GoldenEEG Masterclass · Pediatric & neonatal EEG interpretation — normal patterns, seizures, artifacts & aEEG
  • SilverRESEARCHFLOW · Your AI-Powered Writing Companion — from literature search to manuscript submission
  • SilverChild Protection · Safeguarding in practice — recognition, documentation & mandatory reporting
  • SilverRadiology · Pediatric imaging essentials — chest, abdomen & neuroimaging red flags
Session 1.1 · BluePrint

Building the Future of Saudi Child Health

A bold national vision — positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in pediatric precision medicine.

  • 08:30–08:50KEYNOTE · The National Strategy for Precision Child Health in Saudi Arabia
  • 08:50–09:10GRAND ROUNDS · The Child No One Could Diagnose
  • 09:10–09:30PANEL · Building National Pediatric Databases
Session 1.2 · BluePrint+

Science Meets Policy

Bridging discovery and healthcare policy — and the world premiere of EpiGene.

  • 09:50–10:10Building a Saudi Child Health Research Network
  • 10:10–10:30LAUNCH · EpiGene — Genetic Epilepsy & Precision Intelligence
  • 10:30–10:50VISIONARY KEYNOTE · A Letter to the Next Generation
  • 10:50–11:00PANEL · Vision 2030 & the Children's Hospital of the Future
Session 1.3 · FirstBreath

The First Hours That Shape a Lifetime

The visceral reality of the delivery room and NICU — the first critical decisions.

  • 13:30–13:50DEBATE · Resuscitation at the Margins — The 22-Weeker
  • 13:50–14:10Golden Hour Interventions: What Changes Outcomes?
  • 14:20–14:40Feeding the Preterm Brain: Breast Milk & Evidence
  • 14:40–15:00CASE-BASED · When the Textbook Fails in the NICU
  • 15:00–15:15Q&A · FirstBreath Open Discussion
Session 2.1 · MindGrow

The Complex Child: Brain, Behavior & Beyond

The most common and complex neurodevelopmental conditions every pediatrician meets.

  • 08:30–08:50CP or Not CP? Registries, Mimics & the Saudi Rehab Frontier
  • 08:50–09:10Treat, Watch, or Refer? Acute Symptomatic Seizures Decoded
  • 09:10–09:30PANEL · ADHD & Autism in the Big Data Era — Where Is Saudi Arabia?
  • 09:30–09:40PANEL · The Complex Child — Open Discussion
Session 2.2 · CyberCrib

When Machines Learn to Watch Over Babies

How AI, smart monitoring, and digital ventilation make neonatal care predictive.

  • 10:00–10:20Smart Monitors in the NICU: Can Machines Predict Deterioration?
  • 10:20–10:40AI at the Bedside: Sepsis Prediction & Brain Monitoring
  • 10:40–11:10Ventilation 2026: Personalized Respiratory Support
  • 11:10–12:00PANEL · The Connected Incubator — Wearables & Sensors
Session 2.3 · GutFeeling

The Body's Hidden Systems

The hidden connections between nutrition, the microbiome, obesity, and allergy.

  • 11:20–11:40Childhood Obesity: Beyond Calories — Sleep, Gut & Weight
  • 11:40–12:00Food Allergy Revolution: Early Introduction & Desensitization
  • 12:00–12:20PANEL · The Microbiome — Your Patient's Hidden Organ
Session 2.4 · CodeBlue

When Minutes Matter

High-impact, time-critical content on pediatric emergencies and critical care.

  • 13:30–13:50Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines 2026
  • 13:50–14:10ECMO in Refractory Septic Shock: Selection, Timing & Hemodynamic Targets
  • 14:10–14:30Beyond the Surgeon's Knife: Non-Operative Pediatric Abdominal Emergencies
  • 14:30–14:50Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Using Standard Adult Machines
  • 14:50–15:10PICS in Pediatric Survivors of Critical Illness
  • 15:10–15:30PANEL · Critical Decisions Under Pressure
Session 3.1 · GeneCode

Precision Therapeutics & The Next Frontier

The cutting edge — gene therapy, pharmacogenomics, and genomic screening.

  • 08:30–08:50The Promise & Challenges of Implementing Precision Medicine in Pediatrics
  • 08:50–09:10From Spikes to Sequences: Precision EEG in SCN-Related Encephalopathies
  • 09:20–09:40Metabolomics at the ICU Bedside: The Biochemical Fingerprint of a Dying Cell
  • 09:40–10:00CRISPR for Sickle Cell Anemia & Thalassemia: From Lab to Clinic
  • 10:00–10:10PANEL · The Precision Pipeline — Molecular Diagnosis to Targeted Cure
Session 3.2 · LifeLine

Surviving & Thriving: The Long Journey

Chronic childhood illness — cancer recognition, complex care, and palliative transitions.

  • 10:20–10:40Childhood Cancer in Saudi Arabia: Early Recognition & Referral
  • 10:40–11:00The Child Who Doesn't Get Better: Chronic Multi-System Disease
  • 11:00–11:20The Child With a Hundred Doctors: Building Complex Care for Survivors
  • 11:20–11:30PANEL · When Cure Meets Reality — Treatment to Palliative Care
Session 3.3 · Behind the Bedside

Quality, Data & the Making of Better Clinicians

Step back to the systems that shape every outcome — quality, AI in scholarship, and how we train.

  • 13:00–13:20Moving the Needle: Set a Target, Hit a Benchmark, Make Change Stick
  • 13:20–13:40AI in the Engine Room: Databases, Manuscripts & the New Rules of Scholarship
  • 13:40–14:20DEBATE · Two Worlds, One Trainee — Evaluating Competence: Middle East vs. North America
Session 3.4 · Spotlight

Oral Presentations, Awards & Closing Ceremony

The finale — the strongest abstracts take the stage, the awards are conferred, and Origins hands the baton to Momentum 2027.

  • 14:20–14:50Top-Scoring Oral Abstract Presentations
  • 14:50–15:05AWARDS · CHILDEX Awards Ceremony
  • 15:05–15:15Closing Ceremony & Handover to 2027 · Momentum

Program is provisional and subject to change · all sessions in Arabia Standard Time (AST, GMT+3) · delivered in English.

Pre-Conference · 25–26 October

Workshops that build real skills

Small-group, hands-on training led by international and national faculty. Add a Golden or Silver workshop to your registration.

Golden Workshop

POCUS

Point-of-care ultrasound for pediatricians and neonatologists — cardiac, lung, abdominal, and vascular access across four hands-on modules with simulation.

Golden Workshop

EEG Masterclass

A practical foundation in pediatric and neonatal EEG — normal patterns, seizure recognition, artifacts, and amplitude-integrated EEG in the NICU.

Silver Workshop

RESEARCHFLOW

Your AI-powered writing companion — formulate questions, search the literature, structure manuscripts, and leave with a polished abstract draft.

Silver Workshop

Child Protection & Safeguarding

Recognize, document, and report suspected abuse within the Saudi legal framework — case-based, simulation-focused, and protocol-driven.

Silver Workshop

Radiology

Sharpen pediatric image interpretation — neonatal chest, abdominal imaging, and neuroimaging red flags in a rapid-fire, case-rich format.

Reserve your seat

Workshop places are limited and allocated first-come. Bundle one with your conference pass to save.

See packages
Call for Abstracts

Share your work with the Kingdom

Abstracts are invited across all ten scientific tracks — from precision diagnostics and genomics to neonatal and critical care. Submit a structured abstract of up to 300 words; accepted work is presented as an oral or poster session after blinded peer review.

Original ResearchCase ReportsQI ProjectsReviewsInnovations
  • Submission Opens
    14 June 2026
  • Deadline
    30 July 2026
  • Notification
    25–31 August 2026
Submit at childex.net
Awards

Recognizing the best

Best Original ResearchOutstanding scientific rigor
SAR 5,000
Best Case ReportClarity and clinical insight
SAR 3,000
Best PosterInnovation and contribution to care
SAR 2,000
Young InvestigatorEmerging Saudi researchers
SAR 1,500
Registration

Choose your pass

All fees in Saudi Riyals (SAR). Bundle a workshop with your conference pass — or register for a workshop alone.

CategoryEarly Bird
by 15 Apr
RegularOn-Site
Conference Pass
Consultant / Specialist400500600
Resident / Fellow200300400
Medical Student100100200
Nurse / Allied Health100100200
Regular Package · Conference + Silver Workshop
Consultant / Specialist500600700
Resident / Fellow250350450
Medical Student150200250
Nurse / Allied Health150200250
Premium Package · Conference + Golden Workshop
Consultant / Specialist600700800
Resident / Fellow300400500
Medical Student200250300
Nurse / Allied Health200250300
Workshop Alone
Golden — EEG Masterclass / POCUS250300350
Silver — Research-Flow / Child Protection / Radiology150200250
Early-bird rates close 15 April 2026.  Group and institutional rates are available on request.
Register at childex.net
The Multi-Year Vision

Building child-health leadership, one year at a time

Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 — a five-year journey that begins with Origins.

You are here
2026
Origins

Establish the brand, launch national projects, and unite Saudi and international faculty.

2027
Momentum

Build on inaugural success and deepen subspecialty integration across tracks.

2028
Horizons

Extend regional influence and strengthen international partnerships.

2029
Impact

Measure outcomes from launched initiatives and recognize clinical champions.

2030
Promise Delivered

Demonstrate national child-health transformation and a decade of commitment.

Venue & City

Hilton Jeddah

On the Red Sea corniche in Jeddah — gateway to the Kingdom and one of its most connected cities. The Hilton Jeddah pairs a world-class conference venue with sea-view hospitality, minutes from King Abdulaziz International Airport.

Hosted by King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital · Health Services Directorate · Ministry of Defense.

Plan your visit
Hilton Jeddah
Corniche Road · Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Dedicated conference & exhibition halls
  • Red Sea corniche, sea-view rooms
  • Hybrid broadcast — join in person or online
  • ~20 min from King Abdulaziz International Airport

Be part of the Origins

Join 500+ delegates and faculty from 20+ countries this October in Jeddah. Registration and abstract submission are now open.

Register Now Contact the Secretariat