From city to city, Saudi Arabia is broadening its health footprint, integrating well-being into the rhythm of daily development. Now boasting 21 WHO-accredited health cities, the Kingdom has secured top regional standing across the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. This milestone delivers a practical model for converting quality-of-life goals into actionable benchmarks, putting human health at the heart of urban planning, public services, environmental design, and social infrastructure.
This advancement stems from the resolute support of the Kingdom's Leadership in advancing public health and living standards. This backing has expanded health interventions to address the core factors shaping human lives, institutionalizing the "Health in All Policies" approach as a foundational pillar for planning, policy, and decision-making in step with Saudi Vision 2030's push for a vibrant, sustainable society.
This progress has earned high-level recognition, with the Cabinet honoring the Healthy Cities Program—first upon achieving 16 accredited cities in 2025, and again today as that figure reaches 21. This continued recognition underscores sustained institutional momentum, hands-on governance, and long-term impact, anchoring Saudi Arabia's leadership regionally and globally.
Scaling up to 21 cities reflects deep institutional alignment across sectors. Each accredited city satisfied 80 international standards across 9 core areas: community empowerment, multi-sector partnerships, healthcare delivery, urban environment, education, quality of life, and emergency readiness. The network of certified cities and academic campuses now spans: Jeddah, AlKhobar, Hail, Tabuk, Madinah, Unaizah, AlJamum, Diriyah, Taif, Jalajil, AlGhat, Zulfi, Riyadh AlKhabra, Sharorah, AlArdah, AlMandaq, Abha, Muhayil Asir, Dhurma, Princess Nourah University, and King Khalid University.
At the core of this regional leadership is a collaborative framework connecting the Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies, the Ministry of Health, public agencies, and local communities. By aligning priorities and seamlessly connecting planning with execution, this model reflects a mature institutional ecosystem, one that propelled Saudi Arabia's Healthy Cities Program to become the WHO's first collaborating center in the region and the fourth globally.
Saudi Arabia continues to raise its profile on the global health stage, leveraging transformative milestones that showcase national capability, international competitiveness, and a commitment to designing human-centered policies for the future.