المملكة: Minister of Health: The average lifespan in the Kingdom will rise to 79.7 years in 2025
Share Fahd bin Abdul Rahman Al-Jalajel, in for the year 2026, today, in a ministerial session alongside the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Ahmed Al-Rajhi, and the Minister of Education, Youssef Al-Benyan, entitled "The budget is within the framework of developing basic services"reviewing the most prominent achievements and developments of the health sector and the impact of government support in enhancing the quality and efficiency of health services.
During his speech at the forum, he stressed that the Kingdom’s budget for 2026 reflects a new phase of growth and prosperity, and contributes to continuing comprehensive development in various sectors, including, in accordance with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, as an embodiment of the generous support from the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Trustworthy Crown Prince – may God protect them – which enabled the Ministry of Health to fulfill the promises announced in the 2025 budget, and confirmed that "Citizen health first.”
Budget Forum
The health system’s efforts contributed to raising the quality, efficiency, comprehensiveness of health services and ease of access to them, which was reflected in the health of society, as the average life expectancy increased from 74 years in 2016 to 79.7 years in 2025, and deaths resulting from road accidents decreased by 60% compared to 2016.
And in an unprecedented achievement globally, The health system in the Kingdom was able to reduce deaths resulting from infectious diseases by 50%, and deaths resulting from non-communicable diseases decreased by 40%, in addition to a decline in deaths resulting from unintentional injuries by 30%.
The health system
The statistical data also revealed that the geographical coverage of health services reached 97.4% in various regions of the Kingdom, and the clinical capacity of government hospitals was enhanced in 2025 by more than 1,700 beds, and approximately 2,900 beds were added in private sector hospitals, and in terms of emergency services, the response time from the Saudi Red Crescent improved, decreasing from 25 minutes in 2016 to 10 minutes in 2025.
With regard to operational efficiency, the surgical capacity in health centers increased, as the weekly average was approximately 6 thousand operations, before this year achieved an unprecedented jump to 12 thousand operations per week, which It was directly reflected on the beneficiaries, as waiting times decreased, after only 60% of operations were performed within the standard time, so that the percentage rose in 2025 to 90% of operations performed within the approved standard time frame.
In 2026, the health system will continue its efforts to consolidate the sustainability of the provision of health services and facilitate access to them on a wider scale and with higher quality, which contributes to enhancing public health and consolidating the Kingdom’s leading position as a health destination. International.
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