Saudi Arabia’s efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus has gone beyond preventive measures and safety initiatives to also involve extensive research and publication. Its comprehensive approach to mitigating the effects of the pandemic has placed it in first place regionally when it comes to publishing coronavirus-related research, 14th in the world, and 12th within the G20 member states.
According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh commented on the nation’s achievement, extending thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for their continuous support to education and scientific research. The report also stated that almost 85 percent of the Kingdom's coronavirus related research has been published by Saudi universities.
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This isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia has been recognized for its efforts towards curbing the spread of COVID-19. In mid-2020, for instance, the nation’s focus on utilizing technology and innovation to deal with the pandemic placed it in third place globally, particularly for its launch of an app that uses Exposure Notification Systems.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia’s response over the ongoing pandemic over has been thorough and multifaceted, involving the setup of testing and treatment centers, utilizing digital platforms and creating various mobile apps, being part of the research and testing of vaccines, becoming the first Arab country to roll out the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, and more.
At the start of the year, Saudi Arabia also launched the “Health Passport” via Tawakkalna, in order to confirm who in the country has received all doses of the vaccine. That same week, the nation’s leader, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, also received his first dose, a move that aimed to encourage the nation to follow suit and embrace prevention first as an approach.
