Saudi Arabia has announced a SR1.18bn ($314.24m) contract for the construction of specialised medical centres at the King Fahd Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh, as well as a SR277.6m ($73.93m) contract for the construction of a National Cancer and Proton Beam Therapy Centre.
The contracts were signed with the Latfiya Trading and Contracting Company, which has a partnership with Leighton Middle East.
The projects, falling within the strategic plans of KFMC up to 2026, include the establishment of a comprehensive cancer centre, a neurosciences centre, laboratory buildings, a centre for stem cell research, associated administrative offices and the expansion of the Prince Salman Cardiac Center.
Saudi Arabia health minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah was quoted by menafn.com as saying that the new projects are for the expansion of medical cities and specialised hospitals across the Kingdom.
The 238-bed cancer centre is an 11-story building with 80 units and training facilities. The 11-story neurosciences centre will facilitate ten specialised operating theatres, along with 40-bed neuro intensive care units and a 316-bed neuro research laboratory centre.
The Prince Salman Cardiac Center expansion project will add more rooms for cardiac patients, medical education and training theatres and a rehabilitation centre.
KFMC CEO and executive director Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Amro was quoted by the news agency as saying that the expansion projects aid in providing the region’s citizens with access to technology, supporting the advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures to date in oncology, neuroscience and cardiovascular care.
"With only a handful of proton beam therapy centres operational in the world to date, King Fahd Medical City’s new state-of-the art cancer and proton beam therapy center will put KFMC into an elite category of healthcare providers offering patients this revolutionary radiation therapy treatment," Al-Amro added.
The 7,000 square metre stem cell research centre and associated administrative offices will be connected to nearby medical buildings.