PHSSR Saudi Arabia 2025

23 Sustainability and Resilience in the Saudi Arabian Health System The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience 1.1 Governance for health system sustainability Healthcare is a fundamental right for citizens written into Saudi Arabia’s constitution. Since its foundation, the country has adhered to this welfare principle, striving to offer its citizens free access to health services in a fair and accessible manner. The Ministry of Health (MoH) was established in 1949 to provide the citizens of Saudi Arabia with free healthcare. For decades, it was the primary governor and provider of the majority of health services and it played a signi ficant role in establishing the direction, regulations and policies of the health service as well as providing ongoing oversight and monitoring of plans and activities. In addition to the 60% of healthcare services provided by the MoH, several independent government organisations and the private sector deliver 17% and 23% of health services, respectively, with the proportion delivered by the private sector is expected to grow signi ficantly in the next decade. The existence of parallel public and privately financed and operated health systems in the country creates some complexity in the governance of the health system. Several entities are responsible for the regulation (Table 2) and governance of health service activities (Table 3). Currently, these entities are interconnected by one agenda – ensuring the sustainability of the Saudi health system and, directly or indirectly, serving the purposes of the government’s Vision 2030 . Table 2: Entities other than the Ministry of Health that play a major role in regulating and governing healthcare Entity Examples of roles and responsibilities Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)•Regulates and supervises the food and drug industry •Conducts research to ensure the safety and quality of food, drugs and medical devices •Provides food and drug safety education to consumers •Collaborates with international organisations to ensure compliance with global standards and best practices Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)•Regulates and accredits healthcare education and training programmes •Establishes and enforces professional standards for healthcare professionals •Evaluates and certi fies healthcare professional quali fication The Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Health Care Institutions (CBAHI)•Accredits healthcare institutions and evaluates their compliance with national and international quality standards •Develops and implements accreditation programmes to improve the quality of healthcare services and patient safety •Collaborates with other regulatory bodies and healthcare organisations to promote best practices and ensure the quality of healthcare provision •Provides training and support to healthcare institutions to facilitate the accreditation process and improve service quality Council of Collaborative Health Insurance•Develops policies and procedures to ensure fair practices and protects the rights of policy holders and insurance companies •Licenses and regulates insurance companies, brokers and third-party administrators (TPAs) to ensure compliance with regulations and standards •Conducts research to improve the health insurance sector and promote innovation in the industry •Collaborates with other regulatory bodies and healthcare organisations to enhance the quality of healthcare services and ensure universal health coverage for all residents