Recognition comes after rigorous evaluation against more than 80 international benchmarks
Dubai: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated Jeddah and Medinah among 16 cities worldwide as “Healthy Cities,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health announced.
The two cities are the first in the region with populations exceeding two million to earn the prestigious accreditation.
The recognition comes after rigorous evaluation against more than 80 international benchmarks across nine core areas, including healthcare access, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
The WHO accolade coincides with a series of breakthroughs positioning Saudi Arabia as an emerging leader in healthcare innovation and research.
Among the most notable are groundbreaking research on robotic liver transplantation by King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), which was ranked among the top 10 most influential medical research papers of 2024 by the American Society of Transplantation, and the inclusion of seven Saudi hospitals in Brand Finance’s Global Top 250 Hospitals 2025, underscoring the Kingdom’s advanced healthcare infrastructure and patient care standards.
These advancements align with Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious economic and social reform agenda. The “Healthy Cities” designation directly supports the vision’s “Vibrant Society” pillar, which prioritises well-being and livability, while medical innovations bolster the “Thriving Economy” goal of fostering knowledge-based industries.
With Jeddah and Medina now serving as models for urban health in the Middle East, Saudi officials aim to expand the Healthy Cities Programme to other urban centres.
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