Healthcare in Saudi Arabia
Short, practical answers about getting care in Saudi Arabia, taken from official Saudi sources.
General information, not medical advice. For a medical emergency, use the official emergency number and follow the instructions you are given. Services and rules can change.
Which number should be used to request ambulance / emergency medical services in Saudi Arabia?
Call 997 to request an ambulance. You can request it through government health services or by contacting the Saudi Red Crescent Authority on 997.
Which number should be used to reach the police in Saudi Arabia?
For the police, call 999. The Saudi Red Crescent Authority lists the important numbers as: ambulance 997, Civil Defence 998, security patrols (police) 999, road security 996, and combating drugs 995.
Is there a unified emergency number in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, in specific regions. The Saudi Press Agency reports that the National Center for Security Operations receives calls through the unified emergency number 911 in the Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and Eastern regions, and that the 911 centres receive calls and route them to the relevant security and service agencies, staffed around the clock by specialised multilingual personnel using advanced automated systems.
Does the Ministry of Health or the Saudi Red Crescent Authority offer an emergency / ambulance request or urgent service through an official app?
The Ministry of Health's «Sehhaty» platform lists «Asafny» (أسعِفْنِي) among its services, and the Ministry says its platforms and apps cover daily health needs including «emergency services requests». The Saudi Red Crescent Authority's website presents «Download Asefni App» under its EMS services.
What does the MOH 937 call center do, what are its hours, and what languages does it offer?
The Ministry of Health's 937 Call Center works 24/7, giving medical support and helping people reach health services, with qualified multilingual staff. It handles inquiries, offers phone consultations with licensed doctors, responds to urgent health reports in coordination with health facilities, manages complaints and follow-ups, and helps locate missing or hospitalized people. Services are offered in seven languages: Arabic, English, French, Urdu, Indonesian, Farsi and Turkish. From inside Saudi Arabia, call 937.
What number should callers from outside Saudi Arabia use to reach the MOH 937 center?
From outside Saudi Arabia, call the Ministry of Health's 937 center on 00966920005937. From inside the Kingdom, the number is 937.
What is the exact official name of the MOH platform/app used for booking appointments and for remote consultations?
The official name is «Sehhaty» in English and «صحتي» in Arabic — the Ministry of Health's unified platform, which gives access to health information and to several health services from different entities in the health sector in Saudi Arabia. Its services include immediate consultations, booking and reviewing appointments, remote appointments, the digital health wallet, reviewing sick leaves and medical reports, and dependents' services.
Are MOH primary healthcare centre appointments booked through an official app/portal, and what is the official channel?
MOH states that the service lets a patient reserve an appointment in primary healthcare centres, and that the channel is the Sehhaty platform: download it, register your details, then choose (book an appointment) from the appointments list at the bottom of the screen. MOH notes that using the platform or the website requires an Abshir account, and that the unified line 937 can be called to book an appointment, make a complaint, or ask for help. According to MOH, changing or cancelling an appointment applies to an appointment at the hospital the patient is referred to.
What official app/service does MOH provide for remote consultations?
The Ministry of Health lists «Immediate consultations» and «Remote appointments» among the services of the «Sehhaty» platform. Its «Medical Consultation (Telemedicine)» service runs through the Seha (Health) App and the automated response line at 937, offering medical, psychological and mental health consultations from doctors available 24/7.
Does an official source state how the referral path from a primary healthcare centre to a hospital works?
The Ministry of Health says its electronic appointment service lets patients manage referral appointments at any hospital through a smartphone app. In its published workflow, a patient registered in the primary healthcare system is referred to a hospital outpatient clinic for a cardiac specialist; after review by the healthcare organization's medical coordinator/director, the primary care system sends the referral electronically to the HIE Document Repository, and once the referral request is accepted, an appointment is made.
What are the "health clusters" (التجمعات الصحية), as described by an official source?
Health clusters are part of the institutional transformation of healthcare facilities: clusters distributed across all regions of the Kingdom, each an integrated network of healthcare providers that includes primary care centres, hospitals, medical cities and specialized hospitals. They are operated through regional business units established and supervised by the Health Holding Company, a state-owned government company, which frees them from centralized decision-making.
How can a patient access their own health records through an official app or portal?
The Ministry of Health's electronic services let you view your medical record and access your personal health records. On the «Sehhaty» platform you can also use the digital health wallet and review sick leaves and medical reports.
What is the official prescription/medication dispensing service (Wasfaty) and what does it do?
«Wasfaty» (وصفتي) is the official electronic prescription service: medications are dispensed free of charge at government facilities for citizens, or through commercial pharmacies accredited by the Saudi Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), anytime and anywhere. It links the hospital to commercial pharmacies and allows dispensing medicines from different geographical locations in the Kingdom, re-dispensing for chronic disease patients, text alerts on the e-prescription status, and viewing previous prescriptions and the doctor's instructions.
Who regulates health insurance in Saudi Arabia?
Health insurance in Saudi Arabia is regulated by the Insurance Authority (IA). The IA's official FAQ states that effective from 4 March 2024 all health insurance-related mandates transferred from the Council of Health Insurance (CHI) to the IA. The CHI website now carries a notice that the IA began its work and that tasks relating to health insurance companies and third-party administrators — including complaints against them and their qualification — transferred to the IA.
According to official sources, for whom is health insurance mandatory (employees, dependents, residents, visitors)?
The Insurance Authority's FAQ states that a private-sector employer must insure all employees, Saudi and non-Saudi, and the family members covered by the system: spouses, sons up to age 25, unmarried daughters who do not work, and orphans fostered by insured families. The employer does this by contracting with a licensed insurer and issuing a unified policy that includes the minimum approved provider network. The same FAQ states that an employer is not obligated to insure visitors, and that the visitor insurance policy terms apply to the visitor. The National Platform states that for non-Saudis working in the Kingdom, treatment at private hospitals or health centres is covered through mandatory health insurance under the Cooperative Health Insurance Law. Dependant details vary by case.
What official channel exists for insurance complaints or disputes?
Insurance complaints are handled by IA Care. From 23rd November 2023, complaints previously submitted to SAMA Cares are registered and handled there, and new complaints can be registered — or existing ones managed — through the dedicated phone line (800 124 0551) or the online portal (icare.ia.gov.sa). Health insurance complaints should be raised with IA Care from March 4th onwards, and objections to complaint outcomes go to the committees' official channel at www.idc.gov.sa.
What is the national health insurance exchange platform Nphies, and what is its stated purpose?
Nphies is the national health insurance exchange platform — a digital gateway that facilitates and regulates the exchange of healthcare transactions between sector stakeholders, with high efficiency, transparency and strong security for data privacy. It was implemented under the leadership of the Council of Health Insurance, in cooperation with the National Health Information Center and under the supervision and support of the Ministry of Health, to facilitate the exchange of health and financial information between health service providers and insurance companies, and to facilitate beneficiaries' access to health services.
Is care in government medical facilities free of charge for citizens in Saudi Arabia?
Healthcare in government medical facilities is provided free of charge to citizens, in line with the strategic health plan designed to meet the needs of the healthcare sector.
What is the official channel for complaints about health services in Saudi Arabia?
For inquiries or complaints about health services, contact the Ministry of Health's 937 Service Center, available 24/7, or email 937@moh.gov.sa during 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The 937 line also supports patients and their families with round-the-clock medical consultations and receives reports and complaints related to the healthcare system.
Do official sources describe health services provided to Hajj pilgrims?
During the Hajj season and other religious seasons, the Kingdom, represented by the Ministry of Health, provides free and comprehensive health services to pilgrims and visitors. They are delivered through a wide network of specialised hospitals and health centres built for this purpose, in addition to facilities that operate year-round. The health system provided more than 2,500,000 health services to pilgrims from the start of the Hajj season until the twelfth day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
Is the 937 center described by official sources as a pilgrim health-services channel, and in which languages?
During the 1447 AH Hajj season, the unified call center 937 received more than one million calls in seven languages — Arabic, English, Indonesian, Turkish, French, Persian and Urdu — from the beginning of the season through Dhu Al-Hijjah 10, as part of a round-the-clock system serving pilgrims and facilitating their access to healthcare services for pilgrims of various nationalities. The calls included inquiries and medical consultations, in addition to awareness services on heat exhaustion, chronic diseases and preventive measures.