PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has earned Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) for Medical Travel Services, achieving an overall survey score of 95 percent. This milestone solidifies KFSHRC’s position as one of the Middle East’s most trusted destinations for complex, patient-centered international care and underscores Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in attracting international patients and advancing excellence in global healthcare delivery.
KFSHRC’s team with GHA Surveyors
The accreditation supports Saudi Arabia’s strategic shift from a traditionally outbound medical travel market toward capturing 5 percent of patients who currently seek treatment abroad. KFSHRC plays a leading role in this transformation, offering internationally recognized expertise and having served patients from 17 countries in 2024 alone.
This accreditation affirms our commitment to providing international patients with exceptional care,” said Dr. Amaal AlDakheel, Director of International Healthcare Services at KFSHRC. “The GHA accreditation process was more than a compliance exercise — it was a valuable learning journey that offered opportunities for deep reflection, shared insights, and professional exchange with expert surveyors. It further strengthened KFSHRC’s readiness to lead as premier destination for world-class medical care.”
As part of its preparation for accreditation, KFSHRC conducted specialized training on GHA’s standards and evaluation methodology, with several team members earning the Advanced Certified Medical Travel Professional designation, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to international service excellence.
Global Healthcare Accreditation is a U.S.-based organization that evaluates and certifies hospitals on their ability to meet international benchmarks for medical travel. Its standards address key elements such as cultural competency, care coordination across borders, transparency, post-treatment follow-up, and trust-building between providers, payers, and referring partners.
“King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre exemplifies the future of safe, patient-centered international healthcare,” said Renée-Marie Stephano, CEO of Global Healthcare Accreditation. “Their commitment to excellence, innovation, and global best practices reflects the spirit of Vision 2030—a bold vision for Saudi Arabia to become a world-class hub for medical travel. This milestone comes as GHA is building a global ecosystem—connecting hospitals with insurers, referring partners, and even airlines to create narrow networks that elevate access, quality, and growth opportunities in medical travel.”
KFSHRC’s International Healthcare Services Department provides streamlined access to a full range of subspecialties, anchored by eight Centers of Excellence: Medical, Surgical, Neuroscience, Cancer, Transplant, Heart, Genome, and Pediatrics & Women’s Health. The Centers of Excellence offer highly specialized services supported by advanced technologies such as robotic surgery and CAR T-cell therapy. With the largest oncology center in the Gulf and one of the most advanced genomic infrastructures in the region, KFSHRC continues to attract international patients seeking complex, life-saving treatment options not widely available elsewhere.
It is noteworthy that King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centers for 2025. It was also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East by Brand Finance in 2024 and was listed among the World’s Best Smart Hospitals by Newsweek for 2025.
GHA Accreditation supports hospitals in building trust with international payers, patients, and referring institutions by demonstrating their dedication to patient-centered care and global healthcare standards. Increasingly, academic medical centers like King Faisal are pursuing GHA Accreditation to align with global best practices and distinguish themselves among their peers for the delivery of high-complexity services to an expanding population of traveling patients.
Organizations accredited by GHA have reported measurable benefits including increased patient satisfaction scores, stronger word-of-mouth referrals, and revenue growth through improved retention and loyalty. GHA Accreditation not only enhances patient experience but also contributes to better clinical outcomes. By embedding communication, empathy, and trust into every touchpoint of the medical travel journey, GHA helps create a care environment where exceptional experiences directly support better health outcomes.
For more information about KFSHRC’s International Healthcare Services, please visit www.kfshrc.edu.sa
About Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA):
At GHA, we’re more than an accreditation body—we’re strategic partners committed to enhancing patient experiences and global healthcare practices. Our expertise, drawn from leading accreditation agencies, healthcare pioneers, and top-tier medical travel industry executives ensures tailored solutions for governments, healthcare providers and other industry stakeholders worldwide. Through our accreditation, certification, training, development and optimization and advisory services, GHA promotes transparency, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement.
For more information, visit: www.GlobalHealthcareAccreditation.com
