Today, Saudi Arabia boasts the finest medical services in the Arab world. Saudi citizens have access to more than 300 hospitals with a capacity of over 50,000 beds, nearly 1,800 health care centers and almost 100 private clinic hospitals. Advanced surgical procedures such as open-heart surgery and organ transplants are now routinely performed in various Saudi hospitals to the highest international standards. With healthcare expenditures estimated at 8% of GDP, Saudi Arabia is the world's largest per capita single market for medical products and equipment. The potential for Swiss firms to take part in the expansion of this sector has also been heightened with the enactment of a new foreign investment law. The law gives foreign companies the possibility of 100 percent ownership of their investment, while enjoying the same incentives given to Saudi companies.
The health care system
The Saudi Arabian Government is the largest provider of health care services in the Kingdom, accounting for approximately 70 percent of all health care needs. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the major government agency entrusted with the provision of preventative and rehabilitative health care for the Kingdom’s population. Three-quarters of the Saudi population depend on public health care assistance, which is provided by the Ministry of Health, National Guard, armed forces hospitals, security forces hospitals, university hospitals, and the General Organization for Social Insurance. Traditionally, the government has provided free treatment at public hospitals for all residents, both local and expatriate. Yet financial constraints in the face of a growing population are now forcing the Saudi government to re-evaluate their plan in order to ensure the continuous upgrading of health services for its people. The Council of Ministers approved a new health bill in June 2002, which established a comprehensive network of health services for the Kingdom, including the privatization of some state hospitals. According to the new bill, MOH will provide an integrated network of health services that will cover the entire Kingdom, including primary, secondary and specialized health care.
General information (estimation 2004)
|
Population (mio)
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23.5
|
|
Population growth
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3.27%
|
|
GDP (mia USD)
|
184.3
|
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GDP growth
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0.7%
|
|
Budget Saldo
(% of GDP)
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0.2
|
Links:
Swiss representations:
Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry
70, Route de Florissant
1211 Genève 12
Phone: +41 (0)22 347 32 02
Fax: +41 (0)22 347 38 70
Gulf-Swiss Business Council, Genève
PO Box 6092
1207 Genève
Phone: +41 (0)22 700 11 57
Fax: +41 (0)22 700 11 89
Swiss embassy
Diplomatic quarter, SA-Riyadh
P.O. Box 94311
SA-Riyadh 11693
Phone : +966 (0)1488 12 91
Fax : +966 (0)1 488 06 32
E-mail:
vertretung@rya.rep.admin.ch
