RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s life expectancy has increased from 74 years in 2016 to 79.9 years by the end of 2025, according to the Health Sector Transformation Program.In conjunction with World Heatlh Day, the Health Sector Transformation Program announced that this qualitative leap is attributed to the rapid expansion of clinical trials, which grew by 51.4% between 2023 and 2025.The average time to initiate these trials was also reduced by 48%, accelerating access to innovative treatment solutions and maximizing the impact of scientific research outputs.On the research front, the number of companies sponsoring clinical trials rose by 36%, while the number of trial sites reached 13, highlighting the Kingdom’s ability to attract high-quality investments and strengthen scientific partnerships at both local and international levels.The CEO of the Health Sector Transformation Program, Dr. Khalid Al-Shaibani, stated that the rapid growth in clinical trials reflects Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a regional hub for health innovation.He emphasized that investment in science and research is translating into improvements in human health and enhancing the quality of life.