Pediatric Healthcare in Saudi Arabia: Insurance, Sehhaty, Vaccinations and Finding a Doctor

Start with insurance, then register your child on the Ministry of Health's Sehhaty app and pick a pediatrician inside your insurer's network. Which hospital or clinic you can use, and how much you pay, depends on your policy, so check that before a visit.

Step 1: check what your policy covers

Your employer or your own policy decides which hospitals and clinics accept your child. Ask your insurer for the network list, whether pediatric visits, vaccinations and newborn cover are included, and whether there is a co-payment. Read health insurance in Saudi Arabia and use the health insurance comparison tool if you are choosing a plan.

Step 2: use Sehhaty for records and appointments

Sehhaty is the Ministry of Health's app. The ministry says it serves citizens and residents and their dependents, including children. For children it offers a record of vaccinations, your child's appointments and a dependents section for family members registered under your account.

In January 2023 the ministry launched an electronic child vaccination certificate that replaces the paper card. Parents can register vaccinations through the documentation clinic at a health center or self-register through the Sehhaty app (reported by Arab News on 30 January 2023). Check the app for the current steps, since the ministry's service page may change.

Step 3: vaccinations

The Ministry of Health publishes a National Immunization Schedule that covers vaccinations from birth until the first grade; the page says the approved version took effect on 1 January 2013. The schedule is a PDF on the ministry's site, so read the current version there instead of relying on a summary. Bring your child's existing vaccination record from your home country; your pediatrician will tell you which doses need repeating or catching up.

Step 4: choose a pediatrician

1. Use your insurer's network list to see which hospitals and clinics accept your policy.
2. Look at private hospital groups that operate in your city. Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital lists hospitals in Jeddah, Riyadh and Madinah, and the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group operates a large network of hospitals. Their sites do not give a pediatric department wording in the pages I read, so call and ask for a pediatrician and the languages the doctor speaks.
3. Check the doctor's registration with your insurer or the hospital before the first visit.
4. Book a first visit when your child is well, so that you have a doctor before the first illness. Ask how after-hours and urgent visits work and which hospital handles pediatric emergencies.
5. Ask other parents at your child's school or compound which clinics they use. Reviews and recommendations are subjective, so treat them as a starting point.

Urgent help

The Ministry of Health lists a 937 customer support line on its service pages. For an emergency, go to the nearest hospital emergency department and ask your insurer in advance how emergency cover works. Keep your child's iqama or passport details, insurance card and vaccination record ready.

Practical tips

• Keep a folder (paper and phone photos) with vaccination records, allergies, current medicines and past test results.
• Ask for a clear explanation in English when needed and write down the doctor's instructions.
• Dress modestly for appointments, as in other public places.
• If your child has a chronic condition, ask your insurer and doctor about specialist referral and pre-approval before treatment.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked on 22 October 2026 against these pages. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you pay or apply.

• Ministry of Health: Sehhaty platform
• Ministry of Health: Immunization schedule page
• Arab News: child vaccination e-certificate (30 January 2023)
• Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital group
• Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group