_Well-being at the heart of transformation plans: the healthcare sector opportunity

Understanding the nature of healthcare demand

Pent-up demand and the size of the opportunity has led us to investigate attitudes towards healthcare in Saudi Arabia.

Survey 2 indicates that, on average, most Saudi nationals (55%) visit healthcare facilities between once a month and once a quarter. Almost a fifth (17%) claim they visit healthcare facilities only when the need arises, perhaps reflective of the youthfulness of the population – 56% are below 35 years.

As for reasons to visit healthcare facilities, a ‘routine check-up’ (25%), followed by an ‘ongoing healthcare plan’ (22%), top the list. Unsurprisingly, there is a direct correlation with age for visits to clinics or hospitals, with 36% of respondents over 45 visiting for routine check-ups, while only 24% of those between 25-30 years do the same.

When it comes to medical procedures, cosmetic services are cited as the more common for those aged 25-45 (7% compared to 1% for those over 45). For those under 25, the primary reason cited is routine check-ups (28%).

Similarly, the importance of living near a medical facility rises with age. For those over 45, 52% cite this as being ‘very important’, while 25% say it is ‘somewhat important’. For those under 25, only 26% say it is ‘very important’, and 36% claim it is ‘somewhat important’.

And when it comes to the public vs private hospital conundrum, there is a clear preference for private hospitals (54%), which we believe is largely based on perceptions of the quality of physicians and treatments available in private institutions.