RIYADH: Saudi-US collaboration in medicine and public health has strengthened over decades to the benefit of both nations.
The Kingdom has worked hand-in-hand with foreign experts and scientists to advance its local expertise and embrace the latest technologies in modern medicine.
Cooperation with healthcare businesses in the US has shaped the value of global collaboration, as seen in partnerships with companies like Oracle Health, according to a report published by the US-Saudi Business Council from 2025.
This cooperation has played a crucial role in the deployment of Electronic Health Record systems across Saudi hospitals, enabling information exchange and improved care coordination.
Another example is the longstanding partnership between the US health technology firm General Electric Healthcare and the Saudi Ministry of Health.
The two entities have collaborated on delivering modern imaging technologies, as well as skills development and breast cancer screening.
Among the top areas for Saudi-US cooperation in medicine is the partnership in public health and disease control.
For more than 35 years, the US Centers for Disease and Prevention and the Saudi Ministry of Health have been working to develop responses to infectious disease outbreaks, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2012 and COVID-19.
The US-Saudi Business Council report highlighted Saudi Arabia’s need for skilled professionals, particularly in specialized fields such as oncology, geriatrics and health informatics — using computer technology in healthcare.
Leading US medical institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the Cleveland Clinic collaborate with Saudi entities for advanced training programs to meet this need, according to the same report.
Among the earliest physicians to not only study abroad in the US but to establish cooperation in medicine between the two nations is Dr. Walid Fitaihi, who received his medical degree from George Washington Medical School in 1991, then attended Harvard University to continue his studies in internal medicine.
Following this, he earned his American Board certification as well as his fellowship and board in endocrinology and diabetes, before becoming a medical director of a program and instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
His efforts extended to the well-being of the community in which he was based, where he was one of the founders of New England’s largest mosque — the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.
The mosque, he told Arab News, “aims to come together for the benefit of communities, regardless of whether we were Jews, Christians or Muslims.”
After his journey in the US, Fitaihi returned to the Kingdom and established the International Medical Center, partnering with the Cleveland and Mayo clinics.
“Medicine is one of the most important bridges that can be built between countries to bring them closer on both a humanitarian and health level,” Fitaihi explained.
The training and knowledge he gained through his experience in the US were implemented in his work at IMC in Saudi Arabia.
Fitaihi explained how through IMC, he was able to improve healthcare in the private sector in Saudi Arabia.
“When we started in 2006, in the presence of King Abdullah and Prince Sultan, it was a qualitative leap in the private healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia, as it was a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic,” he said.
Fitaihi believes that cooperation between the two nations benefits both, as the Kingdom also has talent and knowledge to share with the world.
“IMC and Saudi Arabia are not recipients only; we are learning from the states, but we are also teaching them. It is a reciprocal relationship, mutual learning and teaching,” he concluded.
The two countries have also partnered in research and innovation in healthcare.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center recently signed a memorandum of understanding with ImmunityBio in Riyadh, aiming to introduce innovative new cancer care technologies to the Kingdom.
KFSHRC signed an MoU in 2018 with Houston Methodist Hospital, to improve patient safety and conduct leadership training. Another partnership was with Massachusetts General Hospital, where the latter designed a clinical trials unit to advance research capabilities and improve treatment outcomes.
Additionally, KFSHRC has collaborated with Johns Hopkins, aiming to further develop the quality, safety and efficiency of its healthcare services.
