Addressing diabetes and hypertension in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Chronic disease in Saudi Arabia is a looming concern for the country’s healthcare industry. Shifting lifestyle habits, changing diets and lower rates of exercise over the past few decades have contributed to an alarming rise of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and others.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s leading high obesity rates. Around 70 percent of the population are considered obese, according to the Saudi Food and Nutrition Association5. Obesity is a risk factor for other chronic diseases along with being the cause of over 20,000 deaths annually in the Kingdom.