Dr Saad Albattal, chief medical officer for chronic disease at Health Holding Company (HHC)/Image: Supplied
At the Global Health Exhibition 2025 in Riyadh, healthcare transformation and innovation were at the forefront as the Kingdom continues to advance its Vision 2030 goals. Dr Saad Albattal, chief medical officer for chronic disease at Health Holding Company (HHC) shared the company’s latest milestones and its commitment to building a more efficient, value-based health system.
“This year at the Global Health Exhibition 2025, which is in its eighth edition, we launched four initiatives,” said Dr Albattal. “The first one is the Diabetic Command Centre. The second is the Lifestyle Restriction Programme. The third is a Programme of Excellence in Robotic Surgery. And the fourth is the Brain Site, which is advanced surgery for neuroscience and brain surgery.”
Each initiative addresses a national priority—ranging from chronic disease management to medical specialisation and advanced surgical care. Together, they form part of a broader strategy to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s healthcare delivery through innovation, technology, and partnerships.
Public-private collaboration as a cornerstone
As Saudi Arabia transitions to a new healthcare model, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become instrumental in expanding access, improving quality, and ensuring sustainability. Dr Albattal highlighted that success depends on community engagement and proactive care.
“I believe the key success in that is reaching out to the people, managing their problems on a daily basis and being proactive in terms of community screening; taking care of their chronic disease, and through cancer screening,” he explained. “Early screening of all of these diseases will prolong the longevity of the populations and improve the quality of life that people are living.”
This patient-first approach aligns with Health Holding’s mandate to decentralise healthcare delivery through regional clusters, each empowered to innovate locally while remaining accountable to national standards. By combining public oversight with private-sector agility, HHC aims to embed technology and data-driven insights into every stage of the healthcare continuum.
At this year’s exhibition, Health Holding Company signed 13 agreements valued at approximately SAR660m. “Agreements [were signed] in different aspects with Alinma Bank, Microsoft, Roche Arabia, American Heart Association for training, and with national research centers and other partners.”
“The aim of all of these agreements is pushing the advancement of healthcare services and pushing technology and healthcare practice,” Dr Albattal said.
Dr Albattal emphasised that Health Holding’s transformation is not only structural but also philosophical—reframing citizens and residents as beneficiaries who participate in their own health management. “Our patients are part of the decision making. And they are not only patients, they are a beneficiary,” he said.
This shift toward prevention rather than reaction is central to HHC’s strategy. “Our main aim is maintaining health before being reactive and curing the disease,” he explained. “Our duty to our beneficiaries is to educate them, empower them, be accessible to them in different mediums, either virtually or physically, and provide the care based on the best standard.”
Through digital platforms, telemedicine, and hybrid access models, HHC seeks to extend high-quality care to all regions, improving early detection and long-term management of chronic conditions.
Value-based healthcare at the core of Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia’s healthcare transformation under Vision 2030 is driven by a shift from volume to value-based care, a model that rewards quality outcomes rather than service quantity. For Dr Albattal, this principle lies “at the heart of health transformations.”
“We are committed not to the volume, but for the quality, taking care of medical decisions, patient experience and the cost of all of these services,” he said. “Value-based healthcare on the long run will save money, provide better quality of life to our beneficiaries, and will reflect positively in terms of cost.”
As the national umbrella for more than 20 health clusters, Health Holding Company plays a pivotal role in implementing this model. Established to oversee the delivery of healthcare services independently from regulation, HHC is tasked with enabling efficiency, accountability, and innovation across the sector.
Now in its eighth year, the Global Health Exhibition has become one of the MENA region’s leading healthcare gatherings, bringing together government leaders, hospital operators, technology firms, and investors. The 2025 edition placed particular emphasis on digital health, AI-enabled care, and precision medicine, themes that resonate strongly with Health Holding’s strategy.
The event also served as a forum for international collaboration, illustrating how Saudi Arabia’s healthcare reform is both a national agenda and a global opportunity. As the country works to build a future-ready health system, the exhibition reaffirmed the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for healthcare innovation and investment.
