Last week, the Saudi Cabinet decided to establish the Health Holding Company to improve the overall performance of the country’s healthcare system, with the Ministry of Health focusing on regulating and supervising all public and private institutions in this sector. All employees working in healthcare services affiliated with the ministry will be transferred to the HHC or any of its subsidiaries in line with the rules and arrangements for treating employees and workers in the sectors targeted for transformation and privatization. The Saudi Cabinet also decided to approve the charter of the National Health Insurance Center, which will purchase the health services provided by the company per the stipulated controls and mechanisms. It will also transfer healthcare-related funds allocated in the ministry’s budget to the center, according to the plans, stages, and the mechanism decided by the supervisory committee for privatization in the health sector. The approval also included for the HHC to establish health clusters (known as Health Cluster Companies) to provide health services. The comprehensive conception of health insurance for citizens is currently being submitted to the Strategic Committee of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs for approval before implementing health insurance for citizens. This major change will definitely contribute to the development and improvement of healthcare to beneficiaries with high quality and efficiency. The decision will also support the healthcare system’s response to community health needs, controlling the cost of healthcare, enhancing competitiveness and transparency, ensuring financial sustainability, equal distribution of resources, and using the best financing and commercial principles, standards, and practices. Regarding insurance, all citizens eligible for healthcare will benefit from the National Health Insurance Center if they are not covered by other healthcare systems, programs, or services provided to them by entities other than the ministry. The center will cover insurance for Saudis working in the public and private sectors, their family members, the children of a Saudi citizen mother married to a non-Saudi residing in the Kingdom, and non-Saudis married to Saudi citizens residing in the Kingdom if the healthcare services are not covered by the insurance coverage in their medical cooperative insurance policy. It will also cover non-Saudis working in government sectors if they are not covered by other special healthcare systems, programs, or services. • Dimah Talal Alsharif is a Saudi lawyer and legal consultant. Twitter: @dimah_alsharif