The estimated cost of the project, to be built on 1.2 million square meters, amounts to SR1.3 billion ($346.6 million).
A medical city for rehabilitation and treatment, which will be built in Riyadh according to an agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Jordan on Monday, will have more than 1,100 beds, Khaled Al-Jawhar, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Saudi side, said on Tuesday.
Al-Jawhar said the idea came about because of the high demand on medical services, especially in the field of physical disabilities, in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.
The estimated cost of the project, to be built on 1.2 million square meters, amounts to SR1.3 billion ($346.6 million).
“Large numbers of GCC citizens have been spending millions in pursuit of these kinds of medical services in foreign countries, hence the need for this project, which will include specialized centers for scientific research on this kind of treatment in foreign countries,” he said.
“The project is expected to generate more than 3,000 jobs and serve more than 170,000 patients a year. It will include three hospitals, equipped with the latest technologies in the medical field, with a capacity of more than 1,100 beds, in addition to a compound of hotels that will provide patients and their escorts with proper accommodation,” said Al-Jawhar, adding that the project is in line with Vision 2030, which stresses the importance of the health care sector and services offered to the public.
The head of the Private Hospitals Association, Dr. Fawzi Al-Hammouri, told Arab News on Tuesday that the medical complex will be comprehensive, offer Saudi citizens and residents unique medical services on a par with international levels, and create jobs for Saudi youths.
“This is a very promising project, and will hopefully trigger more cooperation and investments between the two sides, considering the huge opportunities the private sector in the two countries can offer to the business sector,” Al-Hammouri said, adding that Riyadh was selected after extensive studies that showed the need for this project.
According to a statement sent to Arab News, the complex will comprise a 600-bed hospital specialized in treatment and therapy of physical disabilities, a 250-bed public health hospital, and a 250-bed hospital for health care and convalescing patients.
It will also include a hotel with 120 beds and 12 suites, 223 tourist villas, 152 hotel villas, 448 furnished apartments distributed among 56 buildings, a commercial mall, recreation and gym centers, gardens and mosques.
A medical faculty specialized in rehabilitation therapy will also be established in the compound, in addition to water-treatment and electricity-generation stations
Al Bawaba
31 March
