Ten-month-old Fijian conjoined twins Dicecea Masilina Kikau and Jesepeli Rosiledua Kikau have arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they will undergo detailed medical assessments to determine whether they can undergo separation surgery.

The sisters, born in Suva on 6 September 2025, are being treated under the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, led by renowned paediatric surgeon Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah. The programme is fully funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and covers all medical treatment, travel and logistical costs for the twins and their family.

Dicecea and Jesepeli were born joined at the chest, abdomen and pelvis with four lower limbs, a condition known as omphalo-ischiopagus tetrapus. Their birth is one of only two publicly recorded conjoined twin cases in Fiji over the past 50 years. They were also born as part of a set of triplets, making their case exceptionally rare worldwide.

After their birth, their family and medical teams in Fiji explored treatment options overseas. However, estimated costs from specialist centres in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Mexico exceeded US$1 million, placing surgery beyond the family’s reach.

The family’s situation changed after they were accepted into the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, which provides fully sponsored treatment under the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following their arrival at King Khalid International Airport, the twins were transferred to specialist medical facilities in Riyadh, where a multidisciplinary team began comprehensive anatomical and clinical evaluations to plan the potential separation procedure.

Since its establishment in 1990, the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme has assessed more than 158 complex cases and successfully separated 72 sets of conjoined twins from over 28 countries.