Saudi and British experts pointed out how artificial intelligence and technology are essential for the development of health care. Saudi and British luminaries from the conference GREAT Futures at Riyadh made it clear to the public that the field of health care is shifting rapidly with the influence of cutting-edge technology. 

Through these panel discussions, it emerged that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is serious about reducing waiting times, cutting costs, and improving the quality of life in the country. This is accomplished through a concerted effort to develop a preventative, patient-centred healthcare paradigm that extends quality care out of hospital confines and into individuals’ residences. 

Dr. Khalid Al-Shaibani, CEO of the Health Sector Transformation Program, an integral constituent element of the nation’s Vision 2030 agenda, opened the event, espousing the primacy of digital health. 

He stressed its ability to enhance health service delivery, improve patient care, and spur economic growth. Dr. Al-Shaibani further emphasized the collaborative efforts across different sectors of the Saudi government, symbolizing a concerted effort toward a future where health, equity, and sustainability are embedded in all decision-making processes. 

Al-Shaibani and his peer group, such as Nick Markham, the Undersecretary of State within the Department of Health and Social Care for the United Kingdom, and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Homod, chief medical officer of Seha Virtual Hospital, presented the vision by visualizing this future, thereby elaborating on how medical professionals could fulfill the gap between primary and secondary care. 

It is, therefore, imagined where wearable technology could comfortably monitor and trace the patients’ vital signs, providing a full spectrum of understanding of the situation before intervention through secondary care. 

However, Dr. Al-Homod outlined the future role of innovation in improving secondary care with reduced costs and augmented efficiency from virtual consultations. General optimism from the health care environment at the country’s level relates to being very favorably disposed to companies and start-ups wishing to make contributions towards health care innovation. 

Dr. Al-Homod highlighted the feeling of the momentum towards innovation and further added that Saudi leadership on healthcare innovation will be solid since NEOM will soon become a trendsetter hub for this purpose.