King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh is using AI and emerging technologies as part of a smart transformation.

The Smart Hospital initiative is leveraging AI, simulation and immersive technologies across its departments. These technologies have helped KFSHRC enhance workforce training, clinical care and operational efficiency.

The Academic & Training Affairs (ATA) division is leading this transformation, deploying tools such as simulation labs, e-learning and virtual reality (VR) to deliver hands-on immersive training. These technologies allow healthcare professionals to rehearse complex procedures from emergency care to surgical planning, strengthening clinical preparedness and patient safety.

The Patient Flow & Capacity Command Centre enhances operational efficiency by applying AI to forecast demand, manage resources and monitor patient flow in real time. Since its launch, the centre has completed over 170,000 interventions, cutting bed wait times from 32 to six hours and reducing emergency delays by 14%. In 2024 alone, the hospital received over 46,000 new patients and processed more than 79,000 referrals. Smart tools, such as the Noor robot, enhance the patient experience by providing real-time assistance and improving access to services.

Across departments such as radiology, pathology, genomics and oncology, AI enhances diagnosis, interpretation, early interventions and personalised care for complex diseases. Driving these innovations is the Centre for Healthcare Intelligence (CHI), which has developed over 20 AI applications in medical imaging, clinical decision support and operations.

In partnership with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, CHI also leads national AI training programmes to build future-ready digital health talent. At the 2024 Gain Summit, CHI unveiled a generative AI platform to synthesise patient data, accelerate diagnostics and streamline triage.

KFSHRC ranks among Saudi Arabia’s top 20 government entities in the 2025 Technology Adoption Readiness Index and received the 2024 Zimam Best AI programme award, recognising its skills in AI, robotic surgery and digital innovation. Additionally, it was included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.

KFSHRC (www.kfshrc.edu.sa) has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 academic medical centres for the third consecutive year and recognised as the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, according to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings.