JEDDAH: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have laid the foundation stone for King’s College London Hospital in Jeddah during a ceremony, a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the Kingdom following an official visit. The ceremony, which was held under the patronage of Prince Badr bin Sultan, deputy governor of Makkah, was also attended by Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, adviser to the governor of Makkah and the acting governor of Jeddah, the Ministry of Health’s Assistant Undersecretary for Investment Ibrahim Al-Omar, Undersecretary for Investment Operations in the Ministry of Investment, Saleh Khabti, and senior hospital officials. “The new project reflects King’s College London Hospital’s ambitions to expand in the Kingdom, and is an important step in the efforts to implement the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in the health care sector,” a statement on Saudi Press Agency said. The project also seeks to establish a series of health care facilities throughout the Kingdom, including multi-specialty hospitals, specialized centers and clinics, and will provide the highest level of services through its medical team, which includes more than 1,200 health care professionals from the UK and Saudi Arabia. Al-Omar praised the hospital as the world’s leading brand in the health care field, expressing his happiness to have joined a group of local entities that provide health care services, in line with the Vision 2030 to restructure the health sector to be a comprehensive and integrated health system with international standards. Lord David Prior, chairman of the British National Health Service, congratulated Kings College Hospital on achieving this distinguished achievement in Saudi Arabia, which showcases the global clinical skills provided by the NHS.