Why Saudi Arabia is embracing wellness

Telegraph

13-05-2025

Back in the 1950s, the average Saudi could expect to live to just 41 years old. By 2023, life expectancy had risen to 78.8. On average, that's an extra six months for every year that passed.
Like many countries, Saudi Arabia has taken a targeted approach to improving public health over the years, putting in place mandatory immunisation programmes against diseases like measles and polio, expanding early detection through regular check-ups and increasing access to healthcare.
These efforts have delivered real results. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, deaths from infectious diseases were steadily declining, falling around eight per cent between 2016-2019. Between 2016 and 2023 deaths from chronic conditions declined by 34 per cent.
Today, Saudi Arabians live six years beyond the global average of 73 and we are aiming to get it to 80 by 2030. But our wider ambition is to improve not just how long people live – but how well they live.
Today, nearly 73 per cent of deaths in Saudi are linked to chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses, many driven by unhealthy lifestyles, including obesity and smoking. As in Britain and many other countries around the world, these diseases steal the 'golden years' from many, turning what should be an active retirement into a prolonged struggle.
In 2021, for instance, healthy life expectancy – that is to say, the number of years lived in good health – was 65.6 years in Saudi Arabia, more than a decade less than average lifespan.
How do you increase a nation's healthy life span? We believe you must look beyond hospitals and doctors.
In 2018, a Royal Decree established the Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies (HiAP) in Saudi Arabia. The initiative aims to spread the duty of public health across all sectors of government. The committee brings together sectors including education, the environment, urban and rural development, and social services to ensure that health is considered in every aspect of how people live, move, and thrive.
In practical terms, we are introducing policy changes designed to deliver lasting impact.
In collaboration with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, we have implemented taxes on tobacco, soft drinks, and energy drinks to reduce consumption, part of a growing global movement that includes successful measures used in the UK and other countries.
We have also set strict limits on salt in bread and infant foods, banned harmful trans fats, and introduced mandatory labelling of calories, physical activity equivalents, and high-salt warnings on restaurant menus. These dietary interventions address major risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, conditions affecting millions of Saudis.
Smoking, too, remains a critical focus. Saudi Arabia has adopted a whole-of-government approach through the National Committee for Tobacco Control to protect the public from the harms of tobacco, reduce use particularly among young people and promote a healthier, tobacco-free environment.
For children, we have made essential vaccines mandatory for school admission and are integrating healthier habits into kids' daily lives. Walking into Saudi schools today, you will see students choosing fresh fruit instead of sugary snacks, a shift supported by our nutritional standards for school canteens.
Every student also undergoes regular fitness assessments, and physical activity is promoted throughout their education, allowing early intervention for potential health issues. We have also developed policies to help restrict junk food advertising targeted at children under the age of 12.
We are also reimagining how our cities are built; integrating health requirements into the Saudi Building Code to create environments that encourage active living.
New developments must now consider factors such as ventilation, sanitation, and accessibility – elements that have a direct impact on residents' health. Before any new law or regulation proposed by any sector is approved, a Health Impact Assessment is conducted to evaluate its potential effects on public health and to ensure alignment with our national health priorities.
Our early results point towards a healthier future.
Smoking rates dropped from 18 per cent to 17.4 per cent between 2019 and 2023 and fish consumption increased from 9kg to 13.1kg per person between 2019 and 2023. Our cities, too, are becoming healthier places to live, with Riyadh and Jeddah both climbing global liveability rankings.
We have learnt that while disease is treated in hospitals, true health is built through the countless daily choices shaped by our surroundings, environments, and living conditions.
The Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach provides an important framework to embed health into every sector, creating lasting and sustainable improvements. When every ministry places health at the heart of its decisions and elevates it to the top of its agenda, we can transform not only how long we live, but how well we live.
Dr Nouf Al-Numair is Secretary General of Saudi Arabia's Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies
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