RIYADH – As many as 200 international and local companies have requested to invest in three health projects in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced. The ministry stated that the companies expressed their interest in the long-stay, medical rehabilitation, and home healthcare projects in Riyadh and the Eastern region (Al-Sharqiya) that were announced in March in cooperation with the National Center for Privatization (NCP). The announced projects will be implemented under public-private partnership (PPP) in the second health cluster in Riyadh, and the first health cluster in Dammam. The big turnout of local and international investors is proof of the attractive investment environment in Saudi Arabia. This will strengthen the role played by NCP in supporting partnerships between public and private sectors to create appropriate opportunities for local and international investment in different sectors. In line with the increase in the privatization of projects in Saudi Arabia, investment companies have expressed their desire to carry out these projects within a short period of its announcement. The MOH stated that the number of requests expressing interest for the projects reached 424 from 200 companies in 21 countries in Asia, Europe and America. The majority of the companies that have expressed their interest in the projects (70%) are from Saudi Arabia. A total of 139 companies from 16 countries have expressed their desire for the first project which included designing (medical and non-medical), developing, financing, maintaining, and operating long-stay hospitals with a capacity of 200 beds in each health cluster. In addition to Saudi Arabia, the companies are based in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, the US, St. Louis, Canada, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Türkiye, India, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The MOH added that 131 companies from 17 countries expressed their desire to implement the second project, which included designing (medical and non-medical), developing, financing, maintaining, and operating medical rehabilitation hospitals with a capacity of 150 beds, and 120,000 treatment sessions for outpatients, in each of the health clusters. The companies are from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, the US, Canada, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Türkiye, India, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Germany and Switzerland. The ministry said 154 companies from 15 countries submitted bids for the third project, which revolves around home healthcare for the provision of medical services for 5,000 active patients in each health cluster. The companies are from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, the US, Canada, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Türkiye, India, South Korea, Thailand, Australia and France.
