SCFHS at the United Nations… Why Go Global?
Each year, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) strengthens its role in shaping the region’s health landscape, steadily positioning itself as a leading driver of development.
The Commission’s new strategy, branded “Empowering Globally Competitive Health Practitioners,” moves beyond rhetoric to a clear roadmap built on defined pillars aimed at strengthening its global footprint.
The strategy is built on five connected pillars: raising practice standards and quality; expanding globally to amplify the Commission’s influence; centering practitioners as the system’s core; securing the long-term sustainability of workforce, processes, and services; and deploying advanced solutions to lift efficiency and productivity.
The goal is twofold: prepare Healthcare Practitioners to global standards so they can lead the next generation of health workers, and cement Saudi Arabia’s status as a premier center for practitioner development.
By investing in its practitioners, Saudi Arabia aims to set the bar for professional standards and attract health talent from around the world, while anchoring a forum for serious dialogue on workforce capacity. The message is strategic, not rhetorical: collaboration across borders is a lever to raise the performance of health systems.
Intense and Meticulous Activity
SCFHS’s international push is gathering pace. Most recently, the Commission joined the 16th International Conference on Medical Regulation (Ireland, 3–6 September 2025), organized by the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities and hosted by the Medical Council of Ireland under the theme “People-Centred Medical Regulation for a Safer Global Society,” drawing leading experts in the field.
SCFHS’s calendar has been packed. On 27 August, the Commission wrapped its participation in the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Conference, a flagship global forum for medical education. Earlier in the summer—16 to 19 June—it joined the Saudi pavilion at BIO International Convention 2025 in Boston, a premier platform for biotechnology and health innovation. Less than a month before that, from 25 to 28 May, SCFHS took part in the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Conference and exhibition in Bangkok, reinforcing its push to advance health education at home while sharing its experience with the international community.
At the United Nations
SCFHS will, in the coming days, join the 80th United Nations General Assembly under the theme “Health Without Borders: Building a Global Health Workforce for the Future.” Alongside its participation, the Commission is staging a scientific side event with plenary sessions where invited researchers and experts will present evidence-based insights and actionable solutions to the global challenge of developing the health workforce.
The program will also feature a cultural exhibition showcasing Saudi identity and current development projects, alongside meetings and dialogues to deepen international partnerships in health education and training, and to spotlight innovations and emerging technologies shaping the sector’s growth. The timing is stark: the world is confronting an unprecedented workforce crunch, with the World Health Organization projecting a shortfall of 11 million health practitioners by 2030—an outlook that threatens access to care across regions.
The agenda spans lectures, panels, and high-level interviews with internationally recognized experts, tackling how to build the future global health workforce and keep practitioners’ skills developing over time. With roughly 15% of health workers practicing outside their home countries, the debate turns on a practical question: how can sending and receiving nations cooperate so that clinicians’ interests are protected while health systems become more resilient and sustainable? A second strategic hurdle is credential recognition across borders; without a shared framework for qualifications, a cohesive global network remains out of reach. That is why regulators, health systems, and international organizations are being brought to the same table—to ensure practitioners are prepared, recognized, and ready to meet worldwide needs. Dedicated sessions will focus on aligning credentials, designing training that attracts international talent with fair recognition and reward, and using technology-enabled training to close skills gaps, strengthen oversight, and expand cross-border learning opportunities.
Why the United Nations?
Saudi Arabia is using high-level engagements to position itself as a global health hub—much as it has done in energy and the economy. Staging a major event in New York alongside the UN General Assembly puts the Kingdom at the center of a crucial debate: the worldwide shortage of health professionals. It’s also a play in health diplomacy that underscores SCFHS’s role in setting standards, developing the workforce, and building cooperation between countries that export and import talent. With deep experience in accreditation, professional classification, and training, SCFHS is well placed to benefit from any move toward global standards—potentially establishing Saudi Arabia as a regional and international accreditation hub that exports systems and know-how, not just attracts talent. The approach aligns with Vision 2030’s focus on the knowledge economy and widens the agenda beyond professional development, opening the door to investment, international partnerships, and the attraction of human and technological capital—consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a regional leader in health-care innovation.
Day One: Migration and Nursing in Focus
The opening day will set the tone with remarks from Dr. Mohammed Alrassi, CEO for Development and Organizational Excellence at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, followed by a high-level interview with Dr. Adam Ismail of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office. Sessions will tackle cross-border cooperation and the migration of health professionals, featuring journalist Rajesh Mirchandani, policy expert Elda Kolba, and World Bank representatives. Later, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Regional Director of the Pan American Health Organization, and Mariam Jashi will outline strategies for building a more interconnected workforce by 2030. Nursing will also be in the spotlight, with Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses, among the panelists. A session on occupational stress and burnout will address the human side of the profession, while Ahmed Alshamrani, CEO of the Health Academy, will share practical strategies for strengthening health systems through collaboration between governments, training institutions, and professional bodies.
Day Two: Accreditation and Digital Skills
The second day will focus on international accreditation and credential recognition. Dina Alismail, Executive Director of Health Diplomacy at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, will outline a vision for globally recognized medical credentials, followed by Dr. Diarmuid O’Shea, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, on the role of accreditation in professional mobility. A high-level interview with Dr. Guilherme Duarte of the UNITE Global Health Parliamentary Network will highlight the need for harmonized international standards, while Dr. Mohannad Al-Mughtham of the Saudi Commission is expected to present a proposed framework for a transparent global accreditation system. The day will also feature a flagship session, Cedars-Sinai: Health Without Borders, with Heitham Hassoun and Noha Hachach of Cedars-Sinai International, and Nikoloz Kobakhidze, founder of The Crossroads, moderated by Amjad Alahmed. The panel will showcase successful models of workforce upskilling and cross-border training partnerships aimed at building a resilient, skilled, and globally ready health workforce.
Day Three: Innovation and the Future Workforce
The final day will explore professional accreditation and digital innovation. It opens with remarks from Ahmed Alshamrani and a fireside chat led by Amjad Alahmed with Steve Gardner, addressing the global health worker shortage, unsustainable migration, and the need for expanded training and credential recognition. A major session on Training Pathways and Global Mobility will follow, with contributions from CARE, the OECD, and Amanda Glassman of the Inter-American Development Bank, who will emphasize leveraging international experience and digital innovation. African health leaders will discuss regulatory innovation, while global companies will showcase advances in digital training. Later, Dr. Geeta Nayyar, physician and bestselling author, will give an in-depth interview on the role of artificial intelligence in medical education. The day will conclude with remarks from Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, on the potential of the digital economy to expand access to healthcare. Finally, Dr. Mohammed Alrassi delivers closing reflections summarizing the key themes of the conference.
