Saudi Arabia’s crown prince receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives his first dose of a coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 25, 2020. (SPA)
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Updated 26 December 2020
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Saudi Arabia’s crown prince receives first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

  • The Kingdom’s health minister said the government has worked to provide a safe vaccine in record time
  • Al-Rabiah thanked the crown prince for his keenness to provide vaccines to citizens and residents

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, as part of the national inoculation plan implemented by the Ministry of Health, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.

Minister of Health, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, thanked the crown prince for “his keenness and continuous follow-up to provide vaccines to citizens and residents.”

“What we are seeing today regarding the gains that have been achieved by the Kingdom since the beginning of the pandemic are an extension of one of the most important policies within Vision 2030 that prevention is better than cure,” Al-Rabiah said.

He added that this was brought about by stepping up precautionary measures, while putting people’s health first.

Al-Rabiah said the government has worked to provide a safe and internationally approved vaccine in record time to give to citizens and residents, “which made the Kingdom one of the best countries in the world in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.”

The minister later added that registration to receive the COVID-19 vaccine increased five-fold in the Kingdom during the hour after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received his first dose.  

Over 500,000 people have already registered to take the COVID-19 vaccine in in Saudi Arabia since its launch last Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.


Over 17,000 inspections conducted in Madinah ahead of Ramadan

Updated 19 February 2026
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Over 17,000 inspections conducted in Madinah ahead of Ramadan

  • Ongoing operational plan involves more than 5,700 personnel, supported by over 1,230 pieces of equipment and machinery
  • Work is focusing on health and commercial inspection tours - raising compliance levels with regulatory requirements

RIYADH: The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, represented by the Madinah Regional Municipality, has intensified field and operational preparations to improve service readiness and ensure uninterrupted services for visitors to the holy city during Ramadan, which began Wednesday.

The ongoing operational plan involves more than 5,700 personnel, supported by over 1,230 pieces of equipment and machinery, reflecting the scale of the preparations and the municipality’s capacity to manage the expected crowds and increased activity.

The work is focusing on health and commercial inspection tours, raising compliance levels with regulatory requirements, and boosting oversight of activities related to public health and food safety to ensure a safe and healthy environment, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The ministry has conducted more than 13,000 inspections targeting health-related activities and nearly 4,000 covering commercial activities. 

In addition, 8,000 food and water samples are being collected to verify compliance with approved health standards, as part of an integrated inspection system based on precise performance indicators.

The ministry has enhanced the readiness of emergency teams by implementing 12 alternative plans to ensure rapid response to emergencies and the continued efficient delivery of municipal services during peak times through its executive arm, Madinah Municipality.