Manama: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to reinforce an advanced healthcare model based on modern technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and medical robotics, within a comprehensive strategic transformation that reshapes the philosophy of healthcare, improves service quality, enhances operational efficiency, and aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. This technological transformation in the health sector is no longer a development option, but a structural pathway that links advanced infrastructure, qualified human capital, scientific research, local manufacturing, and targeted investment to form a value-based healthcare system capable of responding to current challenges and future needs.
According to Bahrain News Agency, this shift represents a move from a disease-treatment model to an integrated system focused on maintaining health and early prevention through digital health, AI-supported diagnostics, high-precision robotic surgery, and virtual care that reaches patients wherever they are. Health transformation in the Kingdom represents a strategic shift in service delivery, moving the focus from treating illness to maintaining health. The new system is based on a model of care that begins with home care and relies on digital connectivity between patients and healthcare providers across different regions. Digital integration has become a key feature of the transformation, with unified systems, integrated data, and faster access to specialised care.
The Seha Virtual Hospital serves as a practical model of this integration, linking 242 hospitals inside and outside the Kingdom, with a capacity exceeding 597,000 beneficiaries, improving access to care, reducing geographical gaps, and supporting continuity of follow-up, particularly for chronic and complex conditions. This model has improved operational efficiency, reduced pressure on high-volume healthcare facilities, and enhanced response times. The transformation is supported by a healthcare infrastructure that reflects a clear commitment to building a modern and sustainable system. Investment in human capital plays a central role through the development of specialised programmes to prepare national leaders capable of leading a value-based care model that balances quality, efficiency, and health outcomes.
The Ministry of Health's direction towards artificial intelligence is part of a strategic framework linked directly to the Health Sector Transformation Programme and the objectives of Vision 2030, including increasing life expectancy, improving service quality, and strengthening innovation-based sustainability. At the Global Health Exhibition 2025, the Ministry of Health announced new initiatives, including the AI Physician virtual doctor experience, designed to support accurate diagnosis and improve clinical decision-making. It also launched the smart health coach in partnership with Google via the Sehhaty application, acting as a digital guide for beneficiaries that promotes preventive health behaviours and provides personalised, data-driven recommendations.
The exhibition also saw investment agreements exceeding SAR133 billion, reflecting the rapid growth of the healthcare sector in the Kingdom and its attractiveness to investors and innovators globally. This included SAR31 billion for healthcare infrastructure development, over SAR12 billion for venture capital and strategic investment funds, and SAR2.3 billion in life sciences, alongside strategic partnerships in digital health with HUMAIN, Lean Business Services, and Google Cloud, confirming the acceleration of a world-class digital healthcare ecosystem.
In June 2025, the Ministry launched the Biotech Accelerator programme in partnership with BioLabs to promote innovation, global partnerships, and enable Saudi companies to contribute to service quality enhancement, in line with the Health Sector Transformation Programme and the National Biotechnology Strategy under Vision 2030, which aims to build a vibrant society and a thriving economy, strengthening the Kingdom's position in regional and global healthcare innovation.
Hospitals across several regions of the Kingdom are rapidly expanding the use of advanced robotic systems such as Da Vinci, ROSA, and CORI, covering cardiac procedures, organ transplantation, tumour surgery, orthopaedics, spinal surgery, brain surgery, knee replacement, and thyroidectomy without neck incision. These procedures are now performed through incisions as small as one centimetre, reducing pain and accelerating recovery.
On 19 May 2025, King Abdullah Medical City, part of the Makkah Health Cluster, launched its advanced robotic surgery service using the Da Vinci Xi system, strengthening its position as a reference centre for specialised care. The technology features a 3D camera and highly precise robotic arms, enabling surgeons to access complex areas through incisions no larger than one centimetre, compared to traditional surgical cuts that may exceed 10 centimetres. This has resulted in reduced pain, less bleeding, fewer blood transfusions, faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, increased capacity, improved system efficiency, and better clinical outcomes.
The Kingdom is committed to providing high-quality healthcare for pilgrims, in line with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Programme and the Pilgrim Experience Programme under Vision 2030, which aim to improve quality of life and deliver integrated and safe healthcare services. As part of preparations for the 2025 Hajj season, the Ministry of Health ensured the provision of integrated healthcare services in accordance with the highest standards of quality and safety, creating a comprehensive health environment that enables pilgrims to perform their rituals safely and with peace of mind.
In May 2025, Minister of Health Fahad AlJalajel inaugurated the robotic surgery project at King Abdullah Medical City, and reviewed the advanced PET-CT imaging system, which enables early detection of tumours, heart disease, and neurological disorders, improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions. The Makkah Health Cluster presented an advanced model of smart field care during Hajj through several technology initiatives using artificial intelligence in high-density environments. In June 2025, it launched the i-Selfie project, which measures vital signs and ECG readings without contact using optical and biometric sensing supported by AI algorithms analysing facial blood flow within seconds. This technology reduced patient assessment time by 70%, cutting vital sign measurement from seven minutes to two minutes.
A clinical study involving more than 1,000 participants conducted by the Seha Virtual Hospital Clinical Research Centre confirmed that the platform's accuracy is comparable to traditional devices, reinforcing its reliability as a low-cost and rapid solution in emergency environments. The Makkah Health Cluster also introduced the interactive Hajji platform, available in more than 200 languages via WhatsApp, using artificial intelligence to provide health consultations and awareness content, accessible to all pilgrims at any time and from any location. In addition, it deployed a mobile stroke unit equipped with instant CT scanning and live virtual consultations with specialists, representing one of the latest field-based medical technologies in the holy sites to ensure rapid life-saving intervention.
The mobile cardiac catheterisation service at East Arafat Hospital enabled precise on-site interventions without transferring patients. The Pharmini digital pharmacy assistant application, available in 11 languages, provides detailed explanations of medication use, interactions, dosages, prescription translation, and live chat with pharmacists. The smart health assistant app was also activated to provide preventive guidance and direct pilgrims to the nearest healthcare facility when needed. King Abdullah Medical City also monitors pilgrims with chronic conditions using smartwatches connected to the Seha Virtual Hospital, enabling medical teams to follow up on patients after discharge.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) is among the world's leading medical centres that have moved from using robotic surgery to advancing and expanding its clinical applications, aiming to become the primary choice in operating theatres. It achieved the world's first fully robotic heart transplant and the world's first fully robotic liver transplant, marking major milestones in organ surgery.
KFSHRC further expanded its applications to include robotic implantation of dual ventricular assist devices, fully robotic artificial heart pump implantation, and the world's first fully robotic intracranial brain tumour resection, reinforcing the Kingdom's position as a global source of medical innovation. These advancements represent a shift in surgical practice by enabling highly precise interventions in complex areas with minimal invasion, enhanced control, and high-definition 3D visualisation. This reduces pain, blood loss, complications, and recovery time while improving operational efficiency, reducing hospital stays, and enhancing clinical outcomes.
In February 2026, KFSHRC recorded the first globally documented case of seven successful cardiac interventions within a single robotic surgery for a patient in her seventies with multiple complex congenital conditions, enabling faster recovery and avoiding multi-stage surgery. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 12th globally among the top 250 academic healthcare institutions in 2026. It was also recognised as the highest-value healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East according to Brand Finance 2024, and was included in Newsweek's lists of the world's best hospitals, smart hospitals, and specialist hospitals for 2026.
The Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs was ranked among the world's best smart hospitals in 2026 by Newsweek, marking its fifth consecutive year on the list (2022-2026) and ranking first in Saudi Arabia. This reflects its integrated digital infrastructure and adoption of advanced healthcare technologies. The system is based on a unified electronic medical record connected across all facilities, enabling real-time data exchange and secure access to patient information. It also includes virtual medicine services through digital clinics for chronic disease management and consultations, alongside a unified patient experience platform allowing management of appointments, medication, and test results via a smart application.
Artificial intelligence is used to support clinical decisions through analysis of medical imaging, patient history, and test results, as well as predicting conditions such as sepsis and certain cancers. Operational applications include appointment management and predicting no-shows. Virtual reality technologies also improve inpatient experience through the "Between Them" application, enabling safe communication with families. Smart operating theatres integrate anaesthesia systems with electronic records, display imaging during surgery, and enable performance tracking and dynamic scheduling to reduce preparation time. Digital twin technology was also used before the opening of the Women's Health Hospital to simulate patient flow and optimise service distribution.
AI is further integrated into robotic surgery systems during planning, real-time support, and post-operative analysis, improving patient safety, reducing complications, and shortening hospital stays. King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and Research Centre continues to strengthen its position as a leading national model in the use of artificial intelligence in specialised care, combining technological innovation