Digital Healthcare Innovation and Development in Saudi Arabia During and Beyond COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 forced many nations, including the largest country in the Arabian Gulf region, Saudi Arabia, to fast-track the adoption of new technologies and work practices to cope with the pandemic. We find the Saudi Ministry of Health (SMoH), in less than a year, introduced several innovations to transform healthcare planning, management and delivery. We reflect on these changes in the Saudi Arabian context and suggest what needs to be done next to retain the developmental momentum generated in the innovation system beyond the pandemic for sustainable and positive impact on the healthcare system. To do so, the Ministry should regularly assess the appetite for change, prioritise problems and areas of intervention, collect evidence of need and impact, build confidence by educating the public and healthcare professionals about the importance of adapting to new ways and methods of healthcare delivery, collaborate with the private sector to efficiently sustain these advancements and gain the public’s trust through stakeholder participation.