The establishment of the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom has witnessed great developments throughout its history. Since the beginning of the unification of the Kingdom and the building of the modern Saudi state at the hands of the founding King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the health march in the Kingdom began its first steps towards regulation, as attention to public health and disease control was one of the government’s priorities. Saudi Arabia.
Since entering the Hijaz and taking Mecca as the first capital, the founding king has sought to unify the kingdom. To focus on public health, and work to develop it, as his directives helped to overcome challenges and difficulties, which were represented in the lack of resources and scarcity of expertise at the time, and the expansion of the country.
Among the most important steps that have been taken, is to increase the volume of cooperation with international organizations, and to use highly qualified foreign expertise; To get acquainted with the developments in the sector, while striving and making every effort to keep pace with them through localizing competencies and laying the first building blocks for an integrated health sector that includes all regions of the Kingdom.
In the year 1343 AH, corresponding to 1925 AD, King Abdulaziz issued a noble order to establish the Public Health Authority, to be located in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, and to have other branches in various regions.
In the year 1344 AH, the Directorate of Public Health and Ambulance was established; With the aim of taking care of health and environmental affairs, working to establish hospitals and health centers throughout the Kingdom, and issuing regulations; To ensure the practice of the profession of medicine and pharmacy, in accordance with a number of controls and standards that have contributed to the improvement and development of the health sector in the Kingdom.
With the increase in health services provided during that period and the increase in the number of hospitals and health centers, in addition to the health services being provided to pilgrims, the establishment of the General Health Council came as the highest supervisory body in the country, made up of high-level leaders in the Kingdom, and the focus was on developing Health services and raising the competencies of workers in this vital and important sector, in addition to combating diseases and epidemics spread at the time.
It was necessary to establish a specialized body to fully supervise health affairs. Indeed, a royal decree was issued in 1370 AH, corresponding to 1951 AD, to establish the Ministry of Health. Thus, the establishment of the Ministry witnessed great developments that were significant signs on the path to advancing the health sector and achieving the aspirations of the founding king.
– From its establishment to the present day, 21 ministers have held the portfolio of the Ministry of Health, whether by appointment or by assignment.. Here are their names and the period in which they held the position.
1- Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud 1370 AH 1373 AH (in the era of King Abdul-Aziz).
2 – Dr. Rashad bin Mahmoud Pharaoh 1373 AH 1380 AH (during the era of King Abdulaziz and King Saud bin Abdulaziz).
3 – Dr. Hassan bin Yousef Nassif 1380 AH 1381 AH (during the era of King Saud bin Abdulaziz).
4 – Dr. Hamid bin Muhammad Al-Harsani 1381 AH 1382 AH, (during the era of King Saud bin Abdulaziz).
5 – Dr. Yusuf bin Yaqoub Al-Hajri 1382 AH 1386 AH (during the era of King Saud and King Faisal).
6 – Sheikh Hassan bin Abdullah Al Sheikh 1386 AH 1390 AH (during the reign of King Faisal).
7 – Dr. Jamil bin Ibrahim Al-Hujailan 1390 AH 1394 AH (during the reign of King Faisal).
8 – Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Khuwaiter 1394 AH 1395 AH (during the reign of King Faisal).
9 – Dr. Hussein bin Abdul Razzaq Al Jazairi 1395 AH 1403 AH (during the era of King Faisal, King Khalid, and King Fahd).
10 – Dr. Ghazi bin Abdul Rahman Al-Qusaibi 1403 AH 1404 AH (during the reign of King Fahd).
11 – Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Hujailan 1404 AH 1416 AH (during the reign of King Fahd).
12 – Dr. Osama bin Abdul Majeed Shobokshi 1416 AH 1424 AH, (during the reign of King Fahd).
13 – Dr. Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Manea 1424 AH 1430 AH, (during the reign of King Fahd and King Abdullah).
14 – Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah 1430 AH 1435 AH, (during the reign of King Abdullah).
15 – Engineer Adel Faqih 1435 AH 1436 AH (during the reign of King Abdullah).
16 – Dr. Muhammad bin Ali Al Hayazah 1436 AH 1436 AH (during the reign of King Abdullah).
17 – Ahmed Al-Khatib 1436 AH 1436 AH, (during the era of King Salman bin Abdulaziz).
18 – Muhammad Al-Sheikh 1436 AH 1436 AH, (during the era of King Salman bin Abdulaziz).
19 – Engineer Khalid Al-Falih 1436 AH 1437 AH (during the era of King Salman bin Abdulaziz).
20 – Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah 1437 1443 AH, (during the era of King Salman bin Abdulaziz).
21 – Fahd bin Abdul Rahman bin Dahes Al-Jalajil 1443 AH until now.
