The Middle East

The health care sector in Saudi Arabia receives an average of 16.5% of the government’s annual budget, reflecting its importance to socio-economic development. The Covid-19 pandemic placed significant pressure on health care systems worldwide, yet the intensified throughput allowed governments to identify weaknesses in their health services and supply chains. Saudi Arabia’s...

In a bid to expand access and widen their reach, educational institutions are increasingly exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and associated extended-reality (XR) approaches. The metaverse comprises a range of technologies which immerse users in a virtual environment. It denotes a 3D medium that combines virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into a new...

Two key entities have been central to the recalibration and fortification of the medical supply chain in Saudi Arabia. The National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) is responsible for medical supplies and equipment procurement, and supply chain regulation; and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) regulates and monitors foods, drugs, medicines, and diagnostic devices....

The ongoing, comprehensive overhaul of the Saudi schooling system saw a raft of reforms introduced at the start of the 2021/22 academic year. At the heart of initiatives related to secondary education is the drive by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to prepare students for both tertiary education and the labour market. Changes to the curriculum and teaching methods are designed...

Saudi Arabia’s tertiary education segment is steadily deepening its contribution to the country’s push for higher competitiveness via applied research and the alignment of educational outcomes with economic needs and labour market realities.