Saudi Arabia leads region with 21 WHO-certified healthy cities

Saudi Arabia has emerged as the regional leader among the World Health Organization's certified healthy cities, with the number of cities achieving this status now standing at 21. This achievement underscores the Kingdom's dedication to Vision 2030, a national plan aimed at fostering sustainable cities that prioritize human health and overall quality of life.

The progress towards this goal has been spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, the General Ministerial Committee for Health in All Policies, and a multitude of government agencies. Their collaborative efforts have transformed the concept of healthy city standards into practical, institutionalized practices across the nation.

To achieve this milestone, Saudi Arabia's certified cities have successfully met 80 international criteria across nine key areas. These include promoting community empowerment for health and development, fostering intersectoral cooperation and partnerships, establishing community information centers, fostering skill development and capacity building, enhancing health services, improving urban environments, ensuring emergency preparedness and response, prioritizing education, and supporting small projects.

With the recent additions of Abha, Mahayel Asir, Tareeb, and King Khalid University City, Saudi Arabia has expanded its network of healthy cities, further cementing its position as a regional and international model in urban health and sustainability. This accomplishment marks the Healthy Cities Program, the first WHO collaborating center in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa region and the fourth globally, as a pioneering initiative in this domain.