# King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre

The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (Arabic: مستشفى الملك فيصل التخصصي ومركز الأبحاث) (KFSHRC) is a non-profit tertiary healthcare institution headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

## Overview

As a tertiary referral hospital, it offers primary and specialized inpatient and outpatient medical care and participates in clinical and research studies. The hospital is known for providing treatments in oncology, organ transplantation, cardiovascular medicine, and genomics. In 2024, it was ranked 20th globally and 1st in the Middle East by Brand Finance.

## History

KFSHRC was established in 1970 by King Faisal on land he donated for the hospital. The hospital was officially inaugurated in 1975 by King Khalid. KFSHRC began operations, initially with a capacity of 17 beds.
The hospital established its Organ Transplant Program in 1981 when the first kidney transplant was performed at the institute. In 1984, KFSHRC performed its first HSCT and was the first HSCT center in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region to perform the procedure. In 1989, the hospital conducted its first heart transplant.
From 1973 to 1985, the hospital was administered by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). In 1985, following a Royal Decree, the contract with HCA ended and the responsibility for the administration and operation of the hospital's premises was undertaken by a national team.
During the 1990s, KFSHRC introduced new areas of healthcare, including a colorectal unit in 1990 and a national home healthcare program in 1991. The outpatient building began operations in 1995. The King Fahd National Centre for Children's Cancer (KFNCCCR) at KFSHRC was established in 1997 to provide specialized care for pediatric oncology and hematology patients.
KFSHRC Jeddah was established in 2000. By 2010, the first national bone bank was established at KFSHRC. The King Abdullah Center for Oncology and Liver Diseases at KFSHRC Riyadh began operations in 2017, and KFSHRC's Madinah branch was added in 2019.
In 2020, the Centre for Genomic Medicine was for research and personalized treatment of genetic diseases. In 2021, KFSHRC was restructured into an independent, non-profit foundation through a Royal Decree, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

## Governance

Dr. Majid Ibrahim Alfayyadh is the CEO of KFSHRC. As of December 2023, the Board of Directors includes independent members and representatives from the Ministry of Health, Royal Clinics, and Ministry of Finance.

## Operations and facilities

The hospital operates three branches in Saudi Arabia, located in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Madinah. KFSHRC Riyadh serves as the primary facility. The branch, covers an area of 1,000,000m² and has a capacity of 1,519 beds. It serves as the primary KFSHRC health facility.
The Jeddah branch is a 500 bed hospital and serves the western region in Saudi Arabia. The Madinah branch has a 300 bed capacity.
In 2023, KFSHRC reported 1.9 million outpatient visits and an average patient stay of 8.8 days across its branches.

## Specialized departments

KFSHRC provides specialized programs and services in organ transplantation, oncology, genomics, and neuroscience. Since the establishment of the Organ Transplant Program in 1981, KFSHRC has performed up to 9,000 successful organ transplants. Additionally, more than 5,000 kidneys have been transplanted since the center's inception.
In 2023, KFSHRC conducted the world’s first fully robotic liver transplant from a living donor. In 2024, the hospital performed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure.
The Oncology Centre treated approximately 25% of Saudi Arabia’s cancer cases in 2023. The Oncology Centre engages in research and development of treatments, such as CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancers.
KFSHRC’s genomic medicine services include whole genome sequencing for diagnostic accuracy and personalized treatment plans. By 2023, the hospital conducted over 7,000 sequencing tests, with accurate diagnoses achieved in over half of the cases.

## Research and education

The institute provides education and training programs, including postgraduate and undergraduate medical education in collaboration with universities in Saudi Arabia. It also operates a simulation center for training healthcare professionals.
KFSHRC collaborates with international and national institutions on research and education, including Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Alfaisal University, Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

## Notable events

* King Fahad died in August 2005.
* King Salman underwent surgery for his gallbladder in July 2020.
* Mohammad Bin Salman was admitted and underwent surgery for appendicitis in February 2021.