In a recent royal decree, Saudi Arabia has appointed Fahad Al-Jalajel as its Minister of Health, replacing Dr Tawfiz Al-Rabia who had served since 2016. Here, we give a quick run-through of Al-Jalajel’s career thus far.

 

The holder of a bachelor’s degree in computer science from King Saud University, Al-Jalalel also has a master’s degree in computer and information sciences from St. Joseph’s University in the US and completed an executive program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

 

Starting off as director of IT for the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) (now the Ministry of Investment) upon graduating from his bachelor’s degree in 2001, Al-Jalalel has worked his way up, taking on positions of increasing responsibility across the Saudi public sector. He spent eight years at the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, including almost six years as deputy minister for consumer protection at (2011-2016) before becoming Vice Minister of Health in 2016.

 

Al-Jalajel has also served on numerous boards of directors. These include the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, a humanitarian society that provides emergency medical services in the Kingdom (May 2017 to present); the nation’s drug regulator, the Saudi FDA (July 2017 to present); its flagship airline carrier Saudia (2015-2017); the Saudi Grains Authority (2013-2017); the Human Resources Development Fund, a Saudi governmental authority mainly concerned with providing financial support to organizations that train and qualify Saudis in the private sector (2011-2016); SAGIA (2014-2016); and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (2012-2016).

 

Al-Jalajel is also a member of the executive council of the country’s medical cities and was a council member at the Saudi General Authority for Competition (2011-2018). Additionally, he was a member of the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program and on the board at the Jeddah Urban Development Company.

 

His predecessor, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabia, has been appointed minister of Hajj and Umrah, the Ministry which oversees Islamic pilgrimages to Mecca.

 

Al-Jalajel takes charge of a Health Ministry that is undergoing rapid transformation in line with the KSA’s ambitious ‘Vision 2030’ transformation plan, as Prof. Ahmed Aljedai, assistant deputy minister of therapeutic affairs for support services at the Ministry of Health (MoH) recently outlined to PharmaBoardroom.