Saudi Arabia has garnered a distinguished array of Arab awards in the fields of medicine and nursing during the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Council of Arab Health Ministers of the League of Arab States, convened in December in Tripoli, Libya. This achievement reflects the Kingdom’s prominent presence in Arab healthcare arenas and highlights the remarkable progress of its health sector, driven by highly skilled national professionals whose contributions have strengthened innovation, enhanced system readiness, and supported the aspiration to build a vibrant society enjoying sustainable health—fully aligned with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program under Saudi Vision 2030.
Within the framework of the Arab Doctor Award 2025, issued by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States – Social Affairs Sector, represented by the Department of Health and Humanitarian Aid, Dr. Ahmed bin Salem Bahammam, Director of the Prince Naif Health Research Center, was honored with the Award for Excellence in Scientific Research and Innovation. Meanwhile, Dr. Zuhair bin Youssef Al-Hellis, Senior Consultant in Cardiac Surgery at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, received the Award for Excellence, Leadership, and Professional Medical Impact, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to medical practice.
Under the “Distinguished Work in Nursing and Midwifery” Award, the Saudi team comprising Dr. Manal Saeed Banasr, Eman Mohammed Al-Shammari, Abdulrahman Abdullah Abu Khuda’a, Jawharah Fahd Al-Harbi, and Reem Mohammed Al-Humaidan secured first place in the Clinical Practice category for their pioneering project, “INS Model,” entitled A Capacity-Building Model for Critical Care Units During Disasters. The model represents an innovative approach to enhancing nursing workforce performance, strengthening health system preparedness for crises and emergencies, and expanding the surge capacity of critical care units during disasters. The project was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a joint recognition shared between Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Badriah Awadh Al-Shahri, Executive Director of Nursing at King Saud Medical City, was awarded the “Distinguished Work in Nursing and Midwifery” Award for her “Nathathon” project, which aims to advance nursing education and training, elevate professional competencies, and enhance the quality of health education outcomes.