RIYADH: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh has secured the top spot among hospitals in Arab and African countries.
The hospital confirmed its position as the top hospital in Saudi Arabia for the fourth consecutive year, according to Newsweek’s 2025 ranking of the world’s best hospitals.
KFSHRC jumped 20 places from last year’s list, a 9 percent improvement in the prestigious ranking, according to the hospital’s statement to Arab News.
The Saudi hospital is ranked 209th in the global ranking and is the only health facility from Arab and African countries on the list.
More than 2,400 hospitals were ranked this year, with an annual list of the top 250 hospitals published by Newsweek.
According to global data platform Statista, the number of hospitals worldwide is projected to reach 215,977 by 2026.
“With an overwhelming number of hospitals to choose from to close the gap and help prospective patients find the best care possible, Newsweek and Statista are proud to present the World’s Best Hospitals 2025, which shares the top hospitals worldwide,” Newsweek’s World's Best Hospitals 2025 reported on its website.
This year’s ranking lists the best hospitals in 30 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States. These countries were selected based on numerous comparability factors, such as standard of living, life expectancy, population size, number of hospitals and data availability.
The ranking is based on an extensive evaluation process, including an online survey of thousands of medical experts (doctors, hospital managers and healthcare professionals), patient experience data, hospital quality metrics and a Patient-Reported Outcome Measures implementation survey.
KFSHRC’s excellence is demonstrated through groundbreaking achievements such as the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant and the first fully robotic implantation of an artificial heart pump.
In 2024, KFSHRC set a record with 1,111 organ transplants in a year, including 500 successful kidney transplants through the paired exchange program, reinforcing its status as a global leader in complex surgeries and organ transplantation.
The hospital also provided advanced medical care to patients from 17 countries, solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a premier destination for healthcare.
Notably, KFSHRC was ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for the second consecutive year and has been recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings, the hospital said.
