The Ministry of Health (MOH) () is a governmental body in the Saudi Cabinet created to develop and implement health policy, monitor and regulate the health sector, and protect and enhance public health to drive the realization of the country's vision for a vibrant, healthy society that serves as the nation's foundation for economic prosperity.
History The Ministry of Health (MOH) traces its origins to 1925, with the establishment of regional health departments, beginning in Mecca. As Saudi Arabia’s economy grew, the first national Ministry of Health was formed in 1950 under Minister Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud. Over the decades, the MOH expanded healthcare infrastructure, building hospitals and clinics nationwide. Today, under Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel, the MOH continues to advance Saudi Arabia’s health sector, aligning with Vision 2030 to create a vibrant, healthy society in alignment with the nation's Quality of Life Program and social development aims.
Foundation of Ministry (1925-1960)
In 1925, Saudi Arabia's first public health department was established in Mecca. The department was founded with the aim to increase the quality and access to healthcare in the country. In the first few decades of its existence, the Ministry focused on the development of hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Additional regulation was also added with healthcare centers enforcing regulations to provide necessary standards for practicing medicine and pharmacology. A public health council was also established to address the growing need for healthcare services, and it was the highest-level supervisory board, overseeing all aspects of the country's healthcare services.
The various healthcare institutions were merged to become a ministerial body in 1950. Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud was the first health minister and served in the position for three years with his main role to set up the newly formed ministry. He served in the position for three years. He was replaced by Rashad Pharaon who was the personal doctor of King Abdulaziz, and he served in the post between 1954 and 1960.
Growing healthcare importance (1960s-1990s) Following World War II, Saudi Arabia's oil production increased dramatically and many remote areas began to see an influx of workers to work in the oil industry. This meant that developing regions in the Kingdom required more healthcare infrastructure, which was subsequently provided. The initial management of this expansion in the early 1960s fell under the responsibility of Hassan bin Yousef Nassief and Hamid bin Mohammad Al Harsani, the third and fourth ministers of health. They each served a year in the position, from 1960 to 1962.
Later in the 1960s, the growth turned the country into a regional and global power. Following a number of conflicts in the 1960s and 1970s, Saudi Arabia's importance in the region grew. This continued rise in wealth meant that huge investments were made by the country's leaders, in order to improve the standard of living across the country. Health in the rural areas of the country became more accessible during this period, as communities that were once considered rural, were more integrated into society with the expansion of oil fields. This expansion required health facilities, which saw the first major rural expansion of medical care in the country's history. This was overseen by Dr. Yousef Bin Yaqoub Al Hairi and Shaikh Hassan bin Abdullah Aal Alshaikh, both of whom served as ministers of health in the mid to late 1960s.
Cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah saw their healthcare infrastructure grow substantially. The expansion of the city infrastructure was essential, with urbanization increasing in the country, with large corporations also moving their offices to the country with the growing economy. This early development was overseen by Dr. Jamil bin Ibrahim Al Hujailan and Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Khuwaiter, who served as ministers in the early 1970s. The economic expansion did not only lead to the development of hospitals for citizens but also care for the Kingdom's military. In the 1970s saw the construction of Riyadh Military Hospital and many other major infrastructure projects that led to more accessible healthcare.Our History A number of years later saw the creation of King Khalid University Hospital was also completed. Dr. Hussain bin Abdulrazzaq Al Jazairy played a major role in the Kingdom's improved hospitals during his eight-year tenure between 1975 and 1983.
Recent history (1990s-present) Towards the end of the 1990s, Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Hujailan retired as minister of health after twelve years. He remains the longest-serving minister of health in Saudi Arabia's history. Al Hujailan's role as health minister was complex due to the turbulent times. In the wake of the invasion of Kuwait and the Battle of Khafji, caring for wounded soldiers became an additional burden.
In the early 21st century, two ministers played a major part in the development of new high-tech hospitals and infrastructure in many of the cities in the Kingdom. Of them, Hamad bin Abdullah Al Manie served between 2003 and 2009, with Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah serving for five years until 2014. Following Al Rabiah's departure, a number of well-known public officials served as ministers of health between 2014 and 2016. In total, five Ministers were appointed during this period, including Adel Fakeih, Dr. Mohammed Al-Hayaza and Khalid Al Falih.
A new minister of health was announced in early 2016 as Dr. Tawfig Al Rabiah.
The Kingdom has attempted to link lifestyle with health through a number of initiatives. This focused on attempting to solve the country's obesity issues. Taxes on unhealthy food products were introduced, as well as nutritional labeling. As part of the focus on tackling obesity, the health minister announced that the Kingdom would allow women to use women-only gyms. Local media had reported that women in the Kingdom often struggled to exercise enough during a typical day, which was leading to health issues in some women.
Until 2018, healthcare in schools fell under the stewardship of the Ministry of Education. It was proposed by the Ministry of Health that this should change and should be managed by the Ministry of Health. In 2018, the responsibility was officially transferred between the two ministries. Additionally, periodic health checks were introduced for Saudi pupils at specific grade intervals. In April 2018, The World Health Organization presented AlRabiah with certifications for two new health cities in the country. The cities were Diriyah and Jalajil. Awards were also later given for the cities of Unayzah and Riyadh Al Khabra.. Up to April 2026, a total of 16 Saudi cities have been accredited by the World Health Organization as “Healthy Cities.”
In February 2022, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) congratulated Saudi Arabia in eliminating Trachoma, a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
On 28 September 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (UNIATF) awarded Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health a 2025 UN Inter-Agency Task Force Award the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, at the 10th annual Friends of the Task Force Meeting in New York City, held during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80).
On 27 February 2022, the Ministry of Health launched the first virtual hospital in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has a life expectancy of 80 years (79 for males and 81 for females) according to the latest data for the year 2023 from the World Bank. Infant mortality in 2022 was 6 per 1000 (5 for males and 5 for females) . In 2023, 71.8% of the adult population was overweight and 40.6% was obese.
Services and strategies National insurance agency Under the leadership of Tawfig AlRabiah, it was announced that the Kingdom would be creating a national health insurance agency, which would be managed by the Ministry of Health. It was announced that implementation would begin in 2018 and would be regulated centrally, but medical services would be independently provided. The move meant that Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries in the Middle East to offer health insurance to its people.
Pilgrimage health Saudi Arabia identified in the past decade that health concerns with pilgrims could cause severe problems to the country's infrastructure during the pilgrimage season. International Health Regulations were applied to pilgrims, in line with the World Health Organization following the discovery, which would give better medical protection to more than two million people annually. This protection is provided by 25 hospitals, 155 health centers and a workforce of 30,000 medical professionals in the country. As part of the same strategy, a new contingency and emergency planning were introduced by the Minister, with the creation of the Saudi Disaster Medical Assistance Team (S-DMAT). The newly formed relief team would be used during pilgrimage season, but could also be deployed to neighboring countries in times of crisis.
Apps One major new service was the creation of eHealth Analytics, abbreviated to Seha. The platform allows Saudi citizens to connect with a physician via the Internet and remotely. The app 'Med Consult' was launched in collaboration with King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) and the support of the World Health Organization. This app enables visual communication to provide medical consultations among health practitioners in Low to Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) with consultants all over the world.
Artificial intelligence Since the mid-2010s, the Ministry has had an increased focus on artificial intelligence. As a medium to long-term aim, trails and developments demonstrated how Saudi Arabia could become a pioneering country in medical AI. With partnerships with the likes of Siemens and Babylon Health, it is believed that AI operations and other advanced forms of AI could be tested in the country within the next decade.
Saudi Center for Disease Prevention and Control In recent years, Saudi Arabia has created and developed the Saudi Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Weqaya), often abbreviated to CDC. The announcement of a newly formed CDC came in 2013, which became the first centralized facility of its kind in the Kingdom. The main goals of the facility were to research and treat various health issues across the country, while also conducting experiments. It was believed at the time of its creation, the CDC would dramatically boost the country's health sector.
A new commission was formed in 2016 to aid the treatment of Hepatitis C in the country. The aims of the commission are to eradicate the disease from the domestic population in the Kingdom. This also coincided with the creation of a new Saudi-made medicine that would be used to treat the virus. Wider initiatives on the treatment of disease were also implemented, with flu vaccinations becoming a focus. Between 2016 and 2018, vaccinations in the country quadrupled. The vaccinations were made possible with the launch of rural medical care in the country. Mobile primary care became a new initiative under the Minister's guidance, which meant rural citizens in the Kingdom could access health-related services more easily. The care industry in Saudi Arabia recognized that more people required home visits as part of a wider initiative to help the elderly and those less mobile. The Minister increased the number of services that could be implemented during home visits. It was estimated that 250,000 home visits were conducted by the end of 2018.
Tobacco clinics