Overview of the Healthcare System in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Health is responsible for the supervision of healthcare and hospitals in both the public and private sectors. The system offers universal healthcare coverage.
The healthcare system has two tiers. One is a network of primary healthcare centers and clinics that provide preventive, prenatal, emergency, and basic services, as well as mobile clinics for remote rural areas. The second tier is represented by the hospitals and specialized treatment facilities located in urban areas.
In 1970, the first of the government’s five-year plans to promote development in a variety of areas, including healthcare, was instituted. In healthcare, the plan only meant establishing the necessary infrastructure of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and research facilities, but hiring expatriate staff to work in the facilities and encouraging Saudis to pursue careers in the healthcare field.
In 1970, there were 74 hospitals with 9,039 beds; by 2005, there were 350 hospitals with nearly 48,000 beds. The Ministry of Health operates 62% of the hospitals and 53% of the clinics and centers; the remaining facilities are operated by government agencies, including the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, the Ministry of the Interior, and several other ministries, as well as by private entities.
The breakdown of facilities is as follows:
1) Ministry of Health Facilities
These serve the general public and are located in both the large cities and the small towns throughout Saudi Arabia.
2) Military Hospitals
These serve members of the Saudi Arabia armed forces and members of their families, according to the branch of the military in which the individual serves.
Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG)
SANG is the branch of the military that is involved with defence against external threats and internal threats. SANG has four hospitals which provide care to the soldiers of the Saudi Arabian National Guard and their dependents:
- King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh (650 beds, formerly the King Fahad National Guard Hospital);
- King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah (350 beds, formerly the King Khalid National Guard Hospital);
- King Abdulaziz Medical City – Dammam (100 beds);
- King Abdulaziz Medical City – Al Ahsa (300 beds);
- The Saudi Arabian National Guard also operates clinics in Riyadh and Taif.
Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence and Aviation (MODA)
MODA provides defense against primarily external threats. It includes the Saudi Arabian Army, the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, the Royal Saudi Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Defence. MODA operates nine hospitals which provide care to the soldiers of MODA and their dependents:
- Riyadh Military Hospital Al Kharj, Riyadh (1,000+ beds);
- Prince Sultan Cardiac Center, Riyadh (150+ beds);
- North West Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk (350 beds);
- King Fahd Military Medical Complex, Dhahran (316 beds);
- Armed Forces Hospital at King AbdulAziz Airbase, Al Khobar (280 beds);
- King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah (200+ beds);
- King Faisal/King Fahad Hospital, Khamis Mushayt (total 258 beds);
- Al Hada Hospital, Taif (500+ beds);
- Hafr Al-Batin Armed Forces Hospital, Hafr Al-Batin (300 beds);
- Wadi Al-Dawassir Hospital, Wadi Al-Dawassir (100 beds).
3) Ministry of the Interior
This serves members the ministry of the interior, including the police and customs collectors.
Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh (500 beds), serves the Ministry of Interior personnel.
4) Referral Hospitals
Every citizen is eligible to go to the referral hospitals for specialized care. These facilities include:
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre-Riyadh Site (700 beds);
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre-Jeddah Site (250 beds);
- King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh (360 beds);
- Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, Riyadh (300 rehabilitation beds).
5) Private Facilities
Here are just a few of the private facilities in Saudi Arabia:
- For-Profit: Saudi German Hospital, Jeddah; Dr. Erfan & Bagedo Hospital, Jeddah; Kingdom Hospital, Riyadh
- Saudi ARAMCO Hospital, Dhahran (480 beds); serves employees of the oil company Saudi ARAMCO, and their family members
- Social Insurance Hospital, Riyadh (GOSI) (300 beds)
- Royal Commission Hospitals, which serve employees and their family members of the Industrial cities located at: Jubail, on the east coast of Saudi Arabia; Yanbu, on the west coast of Saudi Arabia
- SAAD Medical Centre, Al Khobar
- Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah (800 beds, and the largest private hospital in Saudi Arabia; it is contracted to Saudi ARAMCO)
For more information, see:
