RIYADH, 11 June — The Ministry of Health has issued the bylaws of a mandatory scheme of medical insurance to be imposed on some seven million foreigners in the Kingdom.
The executive bylaws, issued on Sunday, become effective after three months but the medical insurance will be implemented gradually over the next three years.
According to the bylaws, Saudi employers will be required to pay the full premiums for their foreign employees and their families, but the amount has to be agreed between employers and insurance companies.
The insurance would cover most medical services excluding AIDS treatment, mental disorders except chronic cases, organ transplants, unnecessary cosmetic surgery, and a number of unessential services.
The scheme, which follows the interest-free Islamic system, will apply to companies with more than 500 expatriate workers within one year, those with over 100 workers within two years, and the rest within three years.
Every foreigner living in the Kingdom must be covered under the scheme except government employees. The medical insurance is a precondition to obtaining a legal residence permit.
A number of specialized insurance companies will be pre-qualified by the Ministry of Health to provide the medical coverage.
The maximum financial coverage for an individual under the scheme is SR250,000 (about $67,000), according to the bylaws.
Only foreign civil servants and housemaids are entitled to receive medical treatment at public hospitals, while other foreigners must go to the private sector.
