There are many medical tourism destinations around the world, and some Middle Eastern countries are considered one of the most important medical tourism destinations that provide the finest and most distinguished medical services. The medical tourism sector has become one of the most important sectors that stimulates the national economy and contributes to creating a space of confidence in it through the contributions made by cadres and competencies working in this sensitive sector.
What is the meaning of medical tourism?
Medical tourism is traveling for a period of time to receive medical treatment or physiotherapy, to consult some doctors, or to undergo some medical examinations, and the destination is one of the countries that are distinguished in this field.
The reason why patients travel for medical tourism is because of the low level of medical services in their country and because some medical services or diagnostic devices are not available to them. Or because of the quest to reach the most prominent competencies in certain medical fields, which are available in some countries specialized in providing medical services.
Types of medical tourism
Medical tourism is divided into two main sections:
1. Medical treatment tourism
It is the tourism that the patient receives in hospitals and specialized medical clinics, in which the most important examination and diagnostic devices are used, with recourse to human medical competencies according to the case to be treated.
2. Wellness tourism
It relies on natural sources for treatment, such as by resorting to mineral or sulfuric water sources or by taking advantage of some types of sand or clay useful to the body. Or through exposure to a specific climate or to a specific geographical nature with the intention of healing or restoring activity and vitality. Or by staying at some health resorts and receiving a high-quality health service through which the visitor gets rid of chronic fatigue, exhaustion, and lethargy.
Medical tourism in Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia currently occupies a privileged position in the Middle East in terms of medical tourism. It includes the most important treatment cities and hospitals that provide all medical services at a high and important level. It includes several hospitals that are among the top 100 hospitals in the world, most notably King Faisal Specialist Hospital. Saudi Arabia is not content with the level it currently offers, as the 2030 plan has noticed this sector and developed a solid plan for it to develop more strongly in the field of hospitalization and medical tourism. The plan behind this path aims to provide a distinctive medical service to citizens residing in Saudi Arabia and to stimulate the economic cycle through the tourist capital attracted annually.
What makes Saudi Arabia a medical tourism hub?
The economic renaissance witnessed by Saudi Arabia has included all fields. Each area you will find is closely related to others and is inseparable from them in the economic dimension. Saudi Arabia has been paying attention to the field of medical tourism for decades.
Medical tourism is linked to other economic sectors. Any visitor to the treatment will need to use hotels, go to the markets, and get acquainted with some of the sights of Saudi Arabia during his medical stay. The distinguished service that any expatriate will receive will be publicity for the status that Saudi Arabia has reached in various fields.
In order to promote the medical sector, Saudi Arabia has been keen to qualify local cadres and bring in Arab and foreign medical expertise from all specialties. Any doctor can perform his duties only after making sure that he has all the qualifications and competencies required to provide medical service at the highest level.
Medical staff work in the most important and largest hospitals in the region. Some of them are considered egrated medical cities; cities have many buildings that accommodate all specialties. These medical edifices have been built in the latest style, equipped with the latest medical devices and equipment.
Saudi Arabia is not satisfied with a limited number of medical hospitals, as there are many of them distributed between the capital, Riyadh, and other Saudi cities. This gives any visitor in front of a fan a wide choice of how to receive the treatment he needs.
Also, some hospitals or medical cities specialize in providing some medical services; for example, you will find one hospital specializing in the field of kidney and urinary system diseases, another in the field of oncology and cancer diseases, and others in the field of neurology. And so on.
Top Saudi Hospitals for Advanced Care
There are many hospitals in Saudi Arabia, and most of them offer an important and good medical level, but we will mention the following 5 most important hospitals in this field, namely:
1- King Faisal Specialist Hospital
King Faisal Hospital provides the best medical services and is one of the best hospitals in the fields of organ transplantation, oncology, and heart diseases, as well as genetic and neurological diseases. This made it rank among the top 100 hospitals around the world.
2- King Saudi Medical City
King Saud Medical City is one of the oldest and most important medical complexes in Saudi Arabia, and it includes three hospitals, namely the General Hospital, the Women’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Dental Center, and the King Fahd Center for kidney failure patients.
3- King Fahd Medical City
It is considered one of the largest medical cities in Saudi Arabia and one of the most important destinations for medical tourism. It contains 4 hospitals, namely the main hospital, the women’s specialized hospital, the children’s hospital, and the rehabilitation hospital. It includes 4 medical centers: the specialized diabetes center, the King Salman Center for cardiology and surgery, the endocrine oncology center, and the neuroscience center.
4- Kingdom Hospital and consulting clinics
Kingdom Hospital is located in the capital, Riyadh, and is considered one of the most equipped and state-of-the-art hospitals in terms of equipment. It provides all types of consultations and therapeutic services, including, but not limited to: internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, oncology, and others.
5- Almana Hospitals Group
Almana Hospitals Group is one of the largest and oldest medical companies in the Gulf region. It includes a group of specialized centers that provide the best health care in the region. Al Mana hospitals cover all areas of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
The most prominent Wellness tourism destinations in Saudi Arabia
Wellness tourism, as we have already mentioned, includes orientation to the sources of nature in order to receive physical and psychological recovery. The following are the top 5 destinations for hospital tourism in Saudi Arabia:
- Alula habitat resort
- Al-Ahsa Springs
- Charming Abha mountain resorts
- Amala of the Red Sea
- Taif and its green madness