23 May 2016
Job vacancies in the Saudi healthcare sector rose by more than a third in the last year, according to the results of a new survey published on Sunday by a recruitment website, as the kingdom aims to improve the sector.

The number of job advertisements looking for healthcare professionals in the kingdom rose 37 percent in April, compared to the same month last year, according to the results of the latest Monster Employment Index, which analyses online job vacancies posted on the firm's website.

Healthcare is a key factor in the kingdom's economic restructuring plan, known as Vision 2030, which was announced in April. The sector currently accounts for 7 percent of the kingdom's budget, or around $3 trillion, according a report this month in the Saudi Gazette newspaper, which cited data from the Ministry of Health.

The kingdom's government is determined to improve facilities in the healthcare sector and attract skilled workers. "Our doctors will be given better training to improve treatment for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer that threaten our nation's health," the Vision 2030 report said.

The sector is also set to be revitalised by increasing the role of the private sector, the Saudi Gazette report stated. The Ministry of Health plans to privatise 295 hospitals and 2,259 health centres by 2030, a ministry source told the newspaper.

By contract, the index showed the hospitality sector saw a sharp decline of 60 percent during the review period. Surprisingly, despite the low oil prices over the last year, the oil and gas sector in the kingdom saw a 16 percent year-on-year increase in job vacancies, the index found.



Zawya 2016