RIYADH: The World Health Organization officially recognized Hail city in north-west Saudi Arabia as a healthy city, a major milestone for the region’s public health progress and quality of life goals set under Saudi Vision 2030.
“The World Health Organization adopts Hail as a new healthy city,” the Saudi Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday.
“Hail Region Governor Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz received from Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel, the Hail Healthy City accreditation certificate in accordance with the World Health Organization’s standards; to enhance a vibrant society within Saudi Vision 2030,” the ministry said on X.
Prince Abdulaziz attended a ceremony on Thursday at Al-Maghwah Celebrations Center to mark Hail’s designation as a WHO Healthy City, the Saudi Press Agency reported Friday.
The event was attended by Al-Jalajel and several officials.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the governor received the WHO Healthy City accreditation, and participating entities were honored for their contributions.
During the ceremony, efforts to achieve the objectives of the Healthy Cities Program were reviewed, as were initiatives that contributed to improving health indicators and enhancing quality of life in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
A visual presentation highlighted Hail’s journey toward the designation, show achievements in public health, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and the development of a health-supportive urban environment.
Al-Jalajel on the occasion said the designation reflects progress in health indicators driven by coordinated efforts across multiple entities. He noted that the number of healthy cities in the Kingdom has reached 17.
A WHO statement in October said: “Saudi Arabia achieved a historic milestone in urban health with the World Health Organization officially recognizing 16 Healthy Cities in the country. One-third of the nation's population — almost 9 million residents — now live in WHO-awarded Healthy Cities that provide an enabling environment for healthy lifestyles. This success, which includes the pioneering designation of Jeddah and Madinah as the first Mega Healthy Cities in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, is a direct outcome of the Kingdom’s commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 and its Quality of Life Programme.
“This recognition from WHO is a direct result of our leadership’s vision and unwavering commitment to placing human well-being at the heart of national development,” said a representative from the Saudi Health Ministry, adding: “Under Saudi Vision 2030, we are not just building cities, we are cultivating healthy, vibrant communities for generations to come.”
The Kingdom’s success in integrating health promotion into all aspects of urban planning and governance is testament to the efficacy of the Health in All Policies approach that has established Saudi Arabia as a leader in creating sustainable, health-focused urban environments.
The WHO’s designation of Jeddah and Madinah as Mega Healthy Cities sets a new global benchmark for implementing WHO standards in large metropolitan areas and demonstrates the feasibility of comprehensive, health-promoting development at scale.
The WHO commended Saudi Arabia’s sustained investment in promoting health, well-being, quality of life and sustainable development.
