Diabetes is the leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia, coming second to traffic accidents, with 3.4 million of diabetic cases reported in 2015 alone. The International Diabetes Federation said that the figures for diabetes in the Arab world are particularly startling as the number of people with the disease is projected to increase by 96.2 percent by 2035. Dr. Atallah Al-Rehaily, President of the Saudi Society for Endocrine and Metabolism, Endocrinology Consultant at the King Abdul Aziz University, said that 90 percent of diabetes cases in the Kingdom were of the type II variety. Dr. Al-Rehaily said that an unhealthy lifestyle, poor dietary habits, lack of exercise, and obesity have led to a significant rise in type II diabetes. For his part, Dr. Saleh Al-Jasser, Vice President of the society and Consultant Endocrinologist at the National Guard Hospital, said that the management of type II diabetes is a complex process. Meanwhile, Dr. Afaf Al-Shammari, head of the Society's Scientific Committee and Consultant Endocrinologist at the National Guard Hospital, said reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases is the most important factor in the management of diabetes. Annual check-ups and regular tests could prevent complications from the disease, she said. Diabetes in the Kingdom has assumed alarming levels. Over 25 percent of the adult population is suffering from the disease, with the figure expected to more than double by 2030. Half the number of people over 30 years of age is prone to diabetes. Saudi Arabia has the second highest rate of diabetes in the Middle East and seventh highest in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
