Urgent: Saudi Health Authority raises the age for childcare to 18 and standardizes emergency terminology

13.03.2026
1 min read
The Saudi Health Council, chaired by Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel, approved raising the clinical age for children to 18 and standardizing emergency department terminology during its thirteenth virtual meeting. This step aims to enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare for beneficiaries in the Kingdom. The health system emphasized that the pivotal decision to raise the upper age limit for pediatric care to 18 directly aims to improve clinical practice and ensure the provision of comprehensive healthcare tailored to the age group and medical needs of this important segment. The meeting, held via video conference, also saw the adoption of a new guide to standardize facility names within emergency departments, an organizational step aimed at eliminating discrepancies in terminology
I admit Saudi Health CouncilChaired by Health Minister Fahd Al-Jalajel, the Council raised the clinical age for children to 18 years and standardized emergency terminology during its thirteenth virtual meeting, in a move aimed at enhancing the efficiency and quality of healthcare for beneficiaries in the Kingdom.

The health system confirmed that the pivotal decision to raise the upper age limit for pediatrics to the age of eighteen aims directly to improve clinical practice and ensure the provision of integrated health care that is appropriate to the age group and medical needs of this important segment.

Improving efficiency

The meeting, which was held via video conference, witnessed the adoption of the new guidelines for standardizing the names of facilities within emergency departments, in an organizational step aimed at ending the discrepancy in terminology and facilitating procedures, which contributes to accelerating the pace of response and raising the efficiency of work within medical facilities.

The council revealed the results of the first report to assess the efficiency and quality of diabetes service centers for 2024, and reviewed the status of the national disease registry, coinciding with a discussion of the outputs of the national survey on autism spectrum disorders, with the aim of directing the compass of care towards its correct path and developing the services provided to those affected.

The health leaders concluded the meeting by reviewing the council’s annual report and final account for the fiscal year 2025, thus crowning a series of organizational efforts aimed at achieving institutional integration between sectors, which will have a real and direct impact on the health and safety of citizens and residents.

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