RIYADH — The National Health Insurance Center (NHIC) will provide free insurance coverage for all Saudi citizens, the Ministry of Health’s official spokesman Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdel Ali has confirmed.

Al-Abdel Ali made the remarks during an interview with Al-Arabiya. He said everyone benefits from the government health services including the jobless and social security beneficiaries, among other categories, will be covered by all health insurance programs of the NHIC.

Among the main pillars of the health strategy adopted by the NHIC is to provide free insurance coverage to citizens and give them access to free treatment, Al-Abdel Ali added.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has given approval to the Cabinet decision to establish the Health Holding Company as well as to organize the National Health Insurance Center (NHIC).

According to the Cabinet decision, the new National Health Insurance Center (NHIC) will purchase health services provided by the Health Holding Company or its subsidiaries. The budgetary allocations for the MoH for the provision of healthcare services at all levels will be transferred to the NHIC, in accordance with the plan, phases and mechanisms decided by the supervisory committee for the privatization of the health sector.

The NHIC would submit the comprehensive health insurance vision for the citizens to the Strategic Committee at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs for approval, before starting to implement health insurance for citizens.

All citizens who are eligible for healthcare will benefit from the NHIC's healthcare services if they are not covered by other healthcare systems, programs or services provided to them by entities other than the MoH.

Citizens who are covered by other healthcare systems, programs, or special services that are provided to them by bodies other than the ministry will also be benefited from the NHIC services. This will be in accordance with what is approved by the Council of Ministers based on a proposal submitted by the MoH, Ministry of Finance and similar bodies.

The beneficiaries also include Saudis working in the public and private sectors; their family members; as well as children of a Saudi mother from a non-Saudi husband residing in the Kingdom or non-Saudi woman married to a Saudi, and a non-Saudi married to a Saudi woman residing in the Kingdom, in the event their healthcare is not covered by a cooperative health insurance policy.

The beneficiaries of NHIC healthcare service also include non-Saudi workers in government sectors, if they are not covered by special healthcare systems, programs or services.

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