RIYADH — The Insurance Authority has directed health insurance providers in Saudi Arabia to offer a health insurance product without pre-medical approval requests for outpatient services. This is part of the authority’s efforts to address a key challenge faced by health insurance beneficiaries in recent years.
The product will be an additional option among the health insurance products currently available, giving employers and policyholders more flexibility to choose the solution that best meets their needs. The new product will be available to insurance customers starting from November 1, 2026.
Insurance Authority CEO Eng. Naji Al-Tamimi stated that the directive to provide a health insurance product without pre-approvals for outpatient services aligns with the Saudi leadership’s directives to ease burdens on citizens, enhance quality of life, and support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
He added that the initiative reaffirms the Insurance Authority’s role in leading the market and requiring insurance companies to provide insurance products that meet the needs of individuals and businesses, in line with the National Insurance Sector Strategy.
The Insurance Authority called on health insurance customers to file a complaint with the authority if an insurer refuses to provide the new option after the specified implementation date.
Source: Saudi Gazette