Saudi Arabia said to have suspended healthcare privatization plan

Saudi Arabia’s health minister, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, received directives to put the healthcare sector privatization program on hold until further notification, Okaz newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The directives were issued, due to the unclear procedures set by the ministry’s committees.

The ministry staff were ordered of suspending the program application, the sources added.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to expand privatization of government services as part of its National Transformation Plan 2020, by boosting the private sector contribution to the healthcare sector’s expenditures to 35 percent from 25 percent.