Ministry of Health (Saudi Arabia) 4.79

Ministry of Health is the ministry responsible for the health of the citizens of Saudi Arabia. The current minister is Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.History and profileIn 1925, Saudi Arabia's first public health department was established in Makkah. The department was responsible for building hospitals and healthcare centers and issuing and enforcing regulations to provide necessary standards for practicing medicine and pharmacology. A public health council was also established to address the growing need for healthcare services and it was the highest-level supervisory board, overseeing all aspects of the country’s healthcare services.Then, these health-care institutions were transformed into a ministerial body in 1950. Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud was the first health minister. The ministry is based in Riyadh.Health-care services in Saudi Arabia are provided by several public and private agencies. However, the ministry is the major planner and provider of these services.Ministers Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud 1950 Hamad bin Abdullah Al Manie 2003-2009 Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabiah 2009-2014 Adel Fakeih 2014 (acting) Dr. Mohammed Al-Hayaza 2014 - January 2015 Ahmed Al-Khatib January 2015 - April 2015 Mohamad Al ash-Sheikh April 2015 - April 2015 Eng. Khalid Alfalih April 2015 – May 2016 Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah May 2016 -