Saudi Arabia signs SAR 3.8B contract to run SABIC Behavioral Care Hospital

Saudi Arabia has signed a landmark SAR 3.8 billion public-private partnership contract to manage and operate the new SABIC Behavioral Care Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, marking a major expansion of its healthcare privatization efforts under Vision 2030. The 15-year agreement, awarded to a subsidiary of Specialized Medical Company, will oversee a 150-bed facility dedicated to specialized mental health, addiction treatment, and rehabilitation services, directly addressing the kingdom's need to strengthen its mental health infrastructure and broaden access to care. This initiative, which aligns with the Health Sector Transformation Program, is designed to enhance service quality and efficiency while shifting the Ministry of Health toward a pure regulatory role and increasing private sector participation in the delivery of healthcare services. By integrating private operational capability with public funding, the project represents a significant step toward the government's goal of privatizing 290 hospitals and improving beneficiary outcomes through expanded specialized treatment programs.