The Ministry of Health has proposed new executive regulations for the healthcare system, through which it seeks to ensure the provision of comprehensive and integrated healthcare services to residents of the Kingdom in a fair and accessible manner. These regulations define public health in a way that ensures a healthy environment, including the safety of food, water and medicines; proper sanitation; protection from the effects of dangerous drugs and intoxicants; prevention of epidemics; protection of the environment from pollutants; the establishment of health requirements for the use of public places; and spreading awareness of issues related to health among the population. The regulations also referred to the Ministry of Health’s explicit responsibility to provide healthcare in hospitals, medical centers and specialized treatment centers; prepare health and vital statistics; conduct studies and scientific research; and develop healthcare strategies for the workforce in this sector to ensure that it is accessible to all members of society. In light of the pandemic, the regulations also touched on the ministry’s role in coordinating and cooperating with countries and regional and global organizations in the areas of public health and healthcare in general. The regulations also specified the mechanisms for financing healthcare services according to the state’s general budget, cooperative health insurance revenues, endowments, gifts and donations. A decision of the Saudi Council of Ministers, based on a proposal from the Ministry of Health, determines the criteria by which the method of financing will be chosen for each project. Moreover, considering the many privatization projects implemented by the Kingdom, the regulations stipulate that the Ministry of Health, based on an assessment of the need or feasibility of privatizing some of the ministry’s hospitals, may submit a proposal to the Council of Ministers specifying the hospital whose ownership is to be transferred to the private sector. This may occur through selling or leasing to a private investor or to a joint-stock company or through transfer to an institution owned and managed by the state. • Dimah Talal Alsharif is a Saudi lawyer and legal consultant. Twitter: @dimah_alsharif Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view