Coinciding with World Cities Day, observed annually on October 31, Saudi Arabia continues to advance its efforts to build healthy cities that combine sustainable development, prevention, and enhanced quality of life. The Kingdom leads the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa region with 21 cities accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO), including the Middle East's two largest healthy cities with populations exceeding one million: Jeddah and Madinah. This achievement reflects the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a vibrant society where people enjoy healthy and sustainable lives.
This progress reflects Saudi Arabia's approach to building healthy and sustainable cities through compliance with 80 international standards across nine key areas: community empowerment for health and development; intersectoral collaboration; community information centers; skills development and capacity building; health services; the urban environment; emergency preparedness and response; education; and support for small businesses. These areas link human health to various development pathways.
The list of WHO-accredited healthy cities in Saudi Arabia includes Jeddah, Al Khobar, Hail, Tabuk, Madinah, Unaizah, Al Jumum, Diriyah, Taif, Jalajel, Al Ghat, Al Zulfi, Riyadh Al Khabra, Sharurah, Al Aridah, Al Mandaq, Abha, Muhayil Asir, Tereeb, King Khalid University, and Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
This transformation is the result of integration between the Ministry of Health, the Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies, and various government entities. It reflects a national approach that strengthens the integration of health into development decisions and policies, affirming that building healthy cities is a shared responsibility extending beyond the health sector to include urban planning, education, the environment, and community services.
These achievements reinforce Saudi Arabia's leading position on the global healthy cities map through the Ministry of Health's Healthy Cities Program, which is the first WHO Collaborating Centre of its kind in the region and the fourth globally. This reflects the success of the Kingdom's experience in embedding health into urban development and building sustainable cities that place human health and quality of life at the heart of their priorities.