Ministry of Health (Saudi Arabia)

In 1925, Saudi Arabia's first public health department was established in Makkah.[1] The department was responsible for building hospitals and healthcare centers and issuing and enforcing regulations to provide necessary standards for practicing medicine and pharmacology.[1] 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.[1]

Then, these health-care institutions were transformed into a ministerial body in 1950.[2] Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud was the first health minister.[3] The ministry is based in Riyadh.[4]

Health-care services in Saudi Arabia are provided by several public and private agencies. However, the ministry is the major planner and provider of these services.[5]

• Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud 1950
• Hamad bin Abdullah Al Manie 2003-2009
• Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah 2009-2014[6]
• Adel Fakeih 2014 (acting) [6]
• Dr. Mohammed Al-Hayaza 2014 - January 2015 [7]
• Ahmed Al-Khatib January 2015 - April 2015 [8]
• Mohamad Al ash-Sheikh April 2015 - April 2015 [9]
• Eng. Khalid Alfalih April 2015 – May 2016
• Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah May 2016 -

In line with the Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Ministry of Health introduced 937 Service Center that uses toll-free number to provide medical services.[10] The Center provides high-quality and immediate emergency assistance to patients as it fulfills their medical needs and requirements.[11]

In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and KSRelief, the Ministry launched an application called “Med Consult”. It aims at providing error free diagnosis and increasing patients’ safety through launching visual media calls between medial practitioners in the less developed countries and consultants worldwide.[12]

• Official website
• https://twitter.com/SaudiMOH
• https://twitter.com/tfrabiah