Saudi Arabia: Number of doctors (physicians) by nationality (Saudi/ non-Saudi) and sector of employment (2017-2024)

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Ministry of Health
 Saudis 13,411 16,706 19,615 20,311 23,585 26,344 29,960 35,923
Non-Saudis 29,198 28,865 29,524 29,754 29,735 29,143 28,300 31,480
Total 42,609 45,571 49,139 50,065 53,320 55,487 58,260 67,403
Other Government Sector
 Saudis 8,158 9,316 9,364 11,201 9,721 11,809 11,508 14,922
Non-Saudis 8,188 8,839 9,098 9,033 8,409 7,835 8,295 8,470
Total 16,346 18,155 18,462 20,234 18,130 19,644 19,803 23,392
Private Sector
 Saudis 1,803 1,968 2,165 5,382 3,876 4,856 7,019 4,314
Non-Saudis 21,617 22,329 24,567 19,655 24,291 25,345 28,218 34,663
Total 23,420 24,297 26,732 25,037 28,167 30,201 35,237 38,977
Total
 Saudis 23,372 27,990 31,144 36,894 37,182 43,009 48,487 55,159
Non-Saudis 59,003 60,033 63,189 58,442 62,435 62,323 64,813 74,613
Total 82,375 88,023 94,333 95,336 99,617 105,332 113,300 129,772

Source: Ministry of Health, Statistical Yearbooks, given years

1. Characteristics of data

These data are employment counts of health personnel working in various sectors (MoH, other governmental, private) as recorded in administrative workforce data.
Data on healthcare establishments and workforce are based on administrative records from multiple official sources, including:
Ministry of Health (MoH); Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS- the official regulatory/licensing body responsible for accrediting
and licensing health professionals to practice in Saudi Arabia); Other governmental entities (e.g., Ministry of Defense, National Guard, Ministry of Interior).

2. Institution which provides data 

Ministry of Health
https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/pages/default.aspx

3. Data availability 

MoH’s Annual Statistical Yearbooks are available in the Ministry’s website Open Data Portal, in PDF and Excel formats
https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Ministry/OpenData/Pages/default.aspx
Open Data Library:
https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/ministry/opendata/pages/open-data-library.aspx

Annual Statistical Yearbooks:
https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/ministry/statistics/book/pages/default.aspx
https://www.moh.gov.sa/ministry/statistics/book/pages/default.aspx

Data on health personnels are published in the “Health Resources” chapter

A processing of the Ministry of Health data is published annually by GAStat since 2023:
(“social statistics”, then “Health Statistics”, then “Healthcare Establishments and Workforce Statistics”)
https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/statistics-tabs?tab=436312&category=2968800

Last date of access: 26 January 2026.

Keywords: Employment, Saudi Arabia, National & Foreign Labour, Highly-Skilled Labour

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