A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physicians in Saudi Arabia - Projecting Imbalances between Need, Supply, and Demand

Jul 19, 2026

A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physicians in Saudi Arabia examines how future imbalances may emerge between healthcare workforce need, supply, and demand. The publication frames strategic health workforce planning using evidence and health labor market economics, presenting the report’s core findings, implications, and conclusions. It organizes the work around an overview and dedicated chapter analyses of stock, distribution, performance, and the methods for projecting supply, need, and demand for health workers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages191

Reading Time8 h 1 min

Overview: Generating Evidence to Support Strategic Health Workforce Planning in Saudi Arabia

Background

Supporting strategic planning for human resources for health

Drawing on principles of health labor market economics

Organization of the report

Core findings and their implications

Conclusion

References

CHAPTER 1 The Stock, Distribution, and Performance of Nurses and Physicians (Saudi Nationals) in Saudi Arabia

Key messages

Background

Stock

Distribution

Performance (productivity)

Conclusion

Notes

References

CHAPTER 2 Methods for Projecting the Supply of, Need for, and Demand for Health Workers

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physicians in Saudi Arabia Projecting Imbalances between Need, Supply, and Demand Taghred Alghaith, Jenny X. Liu, Mohammed Alluhidan, Christopher H. Herbst, and Nahar Alazemi, Editors INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physiciansin Saudi Arabia Projecting Imbalances between Need, Supply, and Demand TAGHRED ALGHAITH, JENNY X. LIU, MOHAMMED ALLUHIDAN, CHRISTOPHER H. HERBST, AND NAHAR ALAZEMI, EDITORS © 2021 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; [Internet: www.worldbank.org](Internet: www.worldbank.org)[ ](Internet: www.worldbank.org)Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 24 23 22 21 Books in this series are published to communicate the results of World Bank research, analysis, and operational experience with the least possible delay. The extent of language editing varies from book to book. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered tobe a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license (CC BY 3.0 IGO) [http://](http://)[ ](http://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo. Under the Creative Commons Attribution license), you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this work, including for commercial purposes, under the following conditions: Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: Alghaith, Taghred, Jenny X. Liu, Mohammed Alluhidan, Christopher H. Herbst, and NaharAlazemi, eds. 2021. A Labor Market Assessment of Nurses and Physicians in Saudi Arabia: Projecting Imbalances between Need, Supply, and Demand. International Development in Focus. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1716-8. License: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO Translations—If you create a translation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This translation was not created by The World Bank and should not be considered an official World Bank translation. The World Bank shall not be liable for any content or error in this translation. Adaptations—If you create an adaptation of this work, please add the following disclaimer along with the attribution: This is an adaptation of an original work by The World Bank. Views and opinions expressed in the adaptation are the sole responsibility of the author or authors of the adaptation and are not endorsed by The World Bank. Third-party content—The World Bank does not necessarily own each component of the content contained within the work. The World Bank therefore does not warrant that the use of any third-partyowned individual component or part contained in the work will not infringe on the rights of those third parties. Th

FAQs

What does the assessment focus on in Saudi Arabia?

It assesses the nursing and physician labor market and how future imbalances may arise between need, supply, and demand for health workers.

How does the report support strategic health workforce planning?

It uses evidence generation and health labor market economics principles to inform workforce planning decisions.

What key topics are covered across the chapters?

Chapter 1 analyzes the stock, distribution, and performance of nurses and physicians among Saudi nationals, while Chapter 2 presents methods for projecting supply, need, and demand.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Theodora