Cancer Treatment in Saudi Arabia Costs 3.98 Billion Riyals

Digestive system cancers placed a significant health and economic burden on Saudi Arabia in 2022, costing an estimated $1.06 billion (approximately 3.98 billion Saudi riyals). This figure comes from a recent international study that assessed the impact of these cancers within the Kingdom.

The comprehensive study was led by the Swedish Institute for Health Economics and included 20 researchers from Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the United States. Collaborating institutions from Saudi Arabia included King Faisal Specialist Hospital, the Saudi Electronic University, Alfaisal University, King Saud University, King Abdulaziz University, the Health Affairs of the National Guard, and King Abdullah Medical City in Mecca. The findings were published on June 12, 2026, in the journal 'Cancer Policy,' published by Elsevier.

The research focused on mitigating the burden through early detection. It measured the health and economic impact of five major types of digestive system cancers in Saudi Arabia. Researchers utilized a health economics model based on real-world data from Saudi Arabia in 2022. This model assessed years of life lost due to premature death, direct treatment costs, and productivity losses resulting from illness and mortality.

According to the study's results, digestive system cancers represented 24% of all new cancer diagnoses in Saudi Arabia and contributed to 34% of cancer-related deaths. They were also responsible for 32% of the years of life lost due to cancer, underscoring the substantial impact of these diseases on public health and the economy.