PAFSA -

It all started in 1984 when Dr. Jamal Al Shanableh and a group of anesthesiologists from Jordan decided to constitute an independent “Anesthesiology Scientific Committee”.

Before this date in Jordan and in many other Arab countries, anesthesiology was always integrated in the Surgical scientific societies.

With the support of the Jordanian Medical Council, the first “Arab Anesthesia Scientific Committee” was formed and became the nucleus for the creation of the “Pan Arab Federation of Societies of Anesthesia”

In 1985 the “First Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care” was held in Amman under the Patronage of his Majesty the King Hussein. 650 participants attended the congress which was a huge success.

In 1986 was established the “Pan Arab Federation of Societies of Anesthesia- PAFSA”.

The Founding Members of the Federation:

According to a list dated from 1984, the following anesthesiologists from different Arab countries (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, KSA, Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait and U.A.E) were the Founding Members of the Federation:

Jordan: Dr. Hilmi Hijazy – Dr. Majed Haddadi – Dr. Fayez Nemri - Dr Jamal Shanableh, Dr Mahmoud Keilani, Dr Izdiad Badran - Dr Mohamad Takrouri

Egypt: Dr. Mohammad Hamed Shaker - Dr Ahmad Abdallah – Dr. Atef Mandour

Dr. Mahmoud AlSawi – Dr. Abdel Razek Youssef

Lebanon: Dr. Fouad Haddad – Dr. Anis Baraka

KSA: Dr. Mohamad Seraj - Dr Dhafir Khodeiri

Iraq: Dr. Bassam Barzanji

Tunis: Dr. Mohamed Al Dhaheri

Algeria: Dr. Mohamed Dherif

Syria: Dr. Bourhan El Abed - Dr. Taha Jasser

Kuwait: Dr. Mohamed Motaweeh – Dr. Khairy Naguib

Morocco: Dr. Ahmed Sbihi

The Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia:

It was then decided to organize a Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia every two years:

The second Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care was held in Cairo in 1987.
1988: PAFSA joined the WFSA during the World Congress of Anesthesia which was held in Washington, the same year.
The third Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care was held in Tunis in 1989.
The 4^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care was scheduled to be held in 1991 in Irak, but it was cancelled because of war and replaced the same year, to keep the momentum, by “The first Gulf Conference on Intensive Care Medicine” in Doha, Quatar.
The 4^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care was then held in Damascus in 1993.
The next meeting was the 5^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care and Pain Management which was held in 1997 in Cairo.
The 6^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Pain Control, Emergency and Disaster Medicine was held in Abu-Dhabi in 2000.
In 2002, the 7^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care could not be held because of security problems in Algiers. It was postponed till 2006 in the same location.
In the meantime, while the 7^th Congress was skipped, the 8^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care took place in 2004 in Beirut with a huge success and more than 1000 participants.
In 2006, was finally held in Algiers, the 7^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia and Intensive Care.
In 2009, was held the 9^th Pan Arab Congress in Sharjah during which the Bylaws were amended.
In 2011 the 10^th Pan Arab Congress was scheduled to take place in Damascus but it was cancelled because of war.
Also in 2013, the same 10^th Pan Arab Congress could not be held in Beirut and was cancelled at the last moment for security reasons.
Finally, the 10^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia was held in Amman in 2014 with a joint organization by the Jordanian and the Lebanese Societies of Anesthesia in collaboration with the ESA.
In 2016, was held in Dubai the 11^th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine also in collaboration with the ESA.
In 2018, the 12th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia was held in Dubai also.
In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic a virtual 13th Pan Arab Congress of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management was held from Beirut-Lebanon in collaboration with the Lebanese Society of Anesthesiologists.