As part of Saudi Arabian plans to diversify the economy it is looking into medical tourism. Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage announces plans.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) wants national and international investment in medical tourism because of the potential for what it sees as significant returns.

Hamad Al-Sheikh of SCTNH says,”Investors could make good money because the Kingdom has an advanced medical infrastructure.”

Sami Al-Abdulkarim of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry adds. “ The private sector could stand to gain a great deal because of the Kingdom’s low medical costs and easy access to services. Co-operation between the private and public sectors could see some private hospitals raise bed occupancy from 70 to 90 %.”

Other local views agree that there could be huge potential to develop the medical tourism industry, but it could only become successful through public-private partnerships.

In Saudi Arabia there are plans to remove healthcare from the public sector into the private sector