Saudi Arabia Leads Region With 21 WHO Healthy Cities

Saudi Arabia has become the regional leader in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa for accredited healthy cities, with 21 communities now recognized by the World Health Organization. The milestone reflects years of coordinated work between municipalities and health authorities across the Kingdom.

The accredited cities span the country and include Diriyah, Jeddah, Taif, Madinah, Al-Khobar, Tabuk, Hail, Abha, Unaizah, Sharurah and Muhayil Asir, among others. The list also features Princess Nourah University in Riyadh and the King Khalid University campus in the Asir region, alongside smaller towns such as Jalajil, Ghat, Zulfi, Al-Jamoum, Al-Aridah, Al-Mandaq and Riyadh Al-Khabra.

What accreditation requires

The recognition is coordinated through the Ministry of Health's Healthy Cities Program, which serves as the national focal point for preparing and submitting cities for evaluation. To earn the status, a city must meet at least 80 criteria across nine key areas, including environment, public health, nutrition, safety and community participation.

Accreditation is based entirely on technical assessment and field verification. It is not a commercial service, and no fees are charged to residents or municipal bodies for the accreditation itself. There are also no procedures required from individuals through digital service platforms, as the process is managed at the ministry and municipal levels.

The path to certification typically involves forming a local healthy city committee, conducting baseline assessments of health and urban services, implementing action plans for sanitation, walkability, safety and primary healthcare access, then submitting data for WHO review and site visits. The status is subject to periodic review and renewal; Madinah, for example, retained its accreditation after continuing to meet the required standards.

For residents, the recognition signals ongoing improvements in the quality of daily life — from cleaner environments and safer streets to better access to health services — as more communities across the Kingdom work toward the same benchmarks.

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