Saudi Arabia has achieved another milestone in public health and sustainable urban development as Jeddah and Madinah become the first cities in the Middle East with populations exceeding two million to be designated “Healthy Cities” by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The recognition places the two Saudi cities among 16 global metropolises honored for meeting the WHO’s stringent standards for health, sustainability, and community well-being. The evaluation process covered over 80 international benchmarks across nine key areas, including healthcare access, environmental sustainability, and quality of life.

This achievement underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing commitment to Vision 2030, which prioritizes wellness, advanced healthcare, and sustainable city development.

A Regional First in Urban Health

The WHO’s “Healthy Cities” initiative promotes well-being in urban centers by encouraging policies and practices that create healthier living environments. Jeddah and Madinah’s inclusion marks a regional first, setting a new benchmark for health-focused urban governance in the Middle East.

Both cities demonstrated leadership in promoting sustainable practices, enhancing healthcare accessibility, and improving community engagement—cornerstones of the WHO evaluation framework.

Healthcare Innovation and Global Recognition

Saudi Arabia’s ongoing healthcare transformation further supports this recognition. The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) recently earned international acclaim for its pioneering research in robotic liver transplantation, ranked among the top ten most influential medical papers of 2024 by the American Society of Transplantation.

Additionally, seven Saudi hospitals were listed in Brand Finance’s Global Top 250 Hospitals 2025, reflecting the Kingdom’s growing influence as a regional hub for world-class healthcare and medical innovation.

Driving Vision 2030 Goals

The Saudi Ministry of Health’s Healthy Cities Program has been instrumental in achieving this milestone. The initiative aligns with Vision 2030’s objective of fostering a vibrant society where well-being and sustainability are central to national development.

By prioritizing preventive health, environmental care, and community engagement, Saudi Arabia is redefining what it means to build cities that support both human and environmental health.

A New Era for Urban Well-Being

The WHO’s recognition of Jeddah and Madinah reflects not only progress in health infrastructure but also the success of a broader strategy that integrates innovation, sustainability, and cultural values into urban life. These cities now serve as models for the region, demonstrating how strong governance and visionary planning can elevate the quality of life for millions.

As Saudi Arabia continues its transformation under Vision 2030, Jeddah and Madinah’s “Healthy Cities” status stands as a symbol of the Kingdom’s commitment to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new Package Visa pilot programme designed to make travel to the Kingdom easier by allowing eligible visitors to secure a tourist visa through approved travel and tourism service providers as part of a bundled travel package.

The initiative is a joint effort involving the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the Insurance Authority. It forms part of the Kingdom's broader strategy to streamline entry procedures and enhance the visitor experience.

The Package Visa expands on earlier visa reforms, including the tourist e-Visa, visa on arrival, and Stopover Transit Visa. Together, these measures helped Saudi Arabia attract more than 29 million international visitors in 2025.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the programme demonstrates the Kingdom's commitment to making travel more convenient and accessible while strengthening partnerships across the tourism industry.

He said the new initiative enables travel providers to offer a more seamless visitor experience by combining visa processing with travel services, reflecting Saudi Arabia's continued focus on innovation and tourism growth.

During the pilot phase, eligible travellers can book complete travel packages through qualified providers, with each package including round-trip flights, accommodation at licensed hotels and the electronic tourist visa application. Providers may also add attractions, events and tourism experiences to create more comprehensive itineraries.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the programme is expected to reduce administrative procedures for visitors while helping travel companies develop higher-value packages that encourage longer stays and increased tourism spending.

Participation in the pilot is limited to travel providers that meet strict operational standards, including offering digital booking platforms, round-the-clock technical support and dedicated customer service.

The launch comes as Saudi Arabia continues to record strong tourism growth. The Ministry of Tourism's 2025 Annual Statistical Report showed the Kingdom welcomed approximately 123 million domestic and international tourists last year, representing a 6% increase compared with 2024.

Tourism spending reached a record SR304 billion, up 7% year-on-year, while the sector accounted for 4.9% of Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2024, with its contribution continuing to expand in 2025.

The report also revealed that 29.3 million international visitors generated SR176.6 billion in inbound tourism spending, while 93.3 million domestic travellers spent SR127.1 billion. Non-religious travel represented around 52% of inbound overnight visits in 2025, compared with 44% in 2019.

Employment across Saudi Arabia's tourism sector reached nearly 1.03 million jobs in 2025. Women accounted for approximately 47% of Saudi nationals employed in tourism-related activities, a significant rise from 5% at the end of 2018.

Source: Saudi Gazette

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has introduced a two-month communicative Arabic language programme for non-Arabic-speaking cabin crew employed by Saudia, marking another step in efforts to strengthen Arabic language proficiency in professional settings.

The initiative follows a cooperation agreement between the academy and the national airline aimed at improving workplace language skills. The course focuses on practical communication, enabling participants to use Arabic confidently in day-to-day operational situations while enhancing interactions with passengers and supporting efficient service delivery.

According to the academy, the programme forms part of its broader portfolio of specialised language initiatives developed in collaboration with organisations across multiple sectors. These programmes are designed to promote Arabic language learning and encourage its wider application in professional and institutional environments.

Earlier this month, the academy also participated in Saudi Arabia's pavilion at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, where it highlighted a range of projects aimed at expanding the global reach of the Arabic language.

Visitors to the pavilion were introduced to the academy's Arabic language courses for non-native speakers, language qualification programmes, and ongoing work to advance Arabic digital content and computational language processing technologies.

Source: ARAB NEWS

The Saudi Culture Pavilion at Al-Tayebat International City of Science and Knowledge Museum in Jeddah is offering visitors an immersive journey through the Kingdom's cultural heritage, highlighting the traditions, craftsmanship and regional identities reflected in Saudi Arabia's historic attire.

Recognized as one of the country's leading cultural and educational attractions, the pavilion presents an extensive collection of traditional garments that illustrate the distinctive clothing styles developed across Saudi Arabia's regions over generations.

The museum complex consists of 12 heritage buildings constructed in the traditional Hijazi architectural style and houses more than 365 exhibition halls. A significant portion of its galleries is dedicated to showcasing regional costumes, textiles and handcrafted items, combining carefully preserved artifacts with detailed historical interpretation.

Exhibits guide visitors across the Kingdom's diverse cultural landscape, featuring clothing and accessories unique to each region.

The western and Hijazi section displays women's garments such as the zaboun, maharem headscarves and mudawwara, alongside men's daqla, sidiriyah waistcoat and Hijazi turban. The collection is presented against traditional carved wooden rawasheen, a defining feature of Jeddah's historic architecture.

The central and eastern regions are represented through elegant Al-Ahsa bishts woven with gold zari thread, as well as intricately embroidered jalabiyas that reflect the area's long-standing textile traditions.

In the southern gallery, brightly colored mijnab garments and shirts decorated with vibrant cane-thread embroidery are exhibited alongside aromatic floral garlands and traditional silver jewelry, highlighting the region's distinctive artistic heritage.

The northern collection features the mhawthal and heavy abayas designed to withstand the harsh desert climate, illustrating how clothing evolved to meet local environmental conditions.

Youssef Mohammed Kiki, the museum's general supervisor, said the garments serve as valuable historical records, documenting the lifestyles, occupations and environmental conditions of communities across different regions of Saudi Arabia.

He added that by preserving these rare collections, the museum aims to strengthen younger generations' appreciation of the Kingdom's cultural heritage while offering visitors a deeper understanding of its diverse traditions.

Source: ARAB NEWS

Saudi Arabia has introduced temporary travel restrictions affecting three African countries in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, implementing a series of precautionary public health measures aimed at preventing the virus from entering the Kingdom.

The Kingdom's Public Health Authority (Weqaya) announced on Thursday that travelers arriving directly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan will be prohibited from entering Saudi Arabia until further notice, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

In addition, Saudi authorities have suspended the issuance of all entry visas for individuals who have been present in any of the three affected countries during the 21 days preceding their arrival in Saudi Arabia, even if they travel through a third country.

Health authorities have also strengthened screening procedures for passengers arriving from Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). Travelers from these countries will undergo health assessments at border entry points and be subject to enhanced disease surveillance measures.

Weqaya said Saudi Arabia has not recorded any Ebola infections since 2019.

According to the World Health Organization, Ebola was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 and has an average case fatality rate of about 50 percent. The virus has claimed approximately 15,000 lives since its discovery.

Separately, French health authorities confirmed on Wednesday the country's first Ebola case after a doctor contracted the virus while serving on a humanitarian mission in the DRC. The physician has since been admitted to a specialized quarantine facility for treatment and monitoring.

Source: ARAB NEWS

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken action against 21 Umrah service providers, suspending them from offering services to pilgrims after identifying performance deficiencies and regulatory violations.

According to the ministry, the decision is based on evaluations conducted during the previous Umrah season, which highlighted a noticeable decline in service quality among several operators, along with breaches of established regulations governing the sector.

Of the companies affected, 15 were suspended due to low performance scores under the ministry’s approved assessment framework, while six others were penalized for violations that required formal corrective measures.

Officials said the move forms part of early preparations for the upcoming Umrah season and reflects ongoing efforts to ensure that pilgrims receive consistently high standards of service.

The ministry explained that its evaluation system relies on a set of operational and supervisory indicators designed to measure compliance and service quality. These mechanisms are intended to strengthen competition among service providers, raise industry standards, and support the broader objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which includes enhancing the experience of pilgrims visiting the Kingdom and the Prophet’s Mosque.

Reaffirming its regulatory stance, the ministry emphasized that it maintains a zero-tolerance approach toward any shortcomings that could affect service quality or the rights of pilgrims. It added that continuous monitoring and evaluation of Umrah companies remain central to improving the sector and ensuring sustained service development.