Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - His Excellency the Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Fahd bin Abdulrahman AlJalajel launched approximately $80million in health projects in the Asir Region of Saudi Arabia.

This is part of a national effort to improve access to healthcare and modernize facilities in line with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program within the Kingdom's Vision 2030. This includes improving infrastructure, raising the quality of healthcare, and expanding specialized services to ensure easy access.

His Excellency the Minister of Health, Mr. Fahd bin Abdulrahman AlJalajel said that “This investment demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to delivering world-class healthcare, through cutting edge innovation, modern infrastructure and patient-centered care”.

During a visit to the Asir Province, His Excellency inaugurated the Cure Oncology Center at Abha Private International Hospital. It has 28 beds for in-patient care and is the first specialized oncology center in the province. This is the latest in an ongoing healthcare improvement project that began last year and has seen the addition of 778 beds to healthcare centers across the region and investment exceeding $373million.

This comes a week after the announcement that Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) will be opening an Oncology Center of Excellence in Riyadh. The Center of Excellence will specialize in treating breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers – three of the most prevalent forms of the disease in the GCC. The prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, remains a priority area for the Kingdom in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce deaths from NCDs by 1/3 by 2030.

The Asir province, located on the Red Sea coast has a population of two million inhabitants and an area of 76,000km2. By providing integrated services and high-quality care, Saudi Arabia is reshaping healthcare systems for the modern world.