A Makkah-based charity has launched a free diabetes test for the public at malls, supermarkets and businesses to help with the early diagnosis of the disease that afflicts thousands of Saudis every year.

Shefa', a charity that provides care for people with chronic diseases, will also conduct a study on the incidence of diabetes and diabetic neuropathy (DNP) in Makkah.

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that mostly affects a sufferer's legs and feet and can be disabling and even fatal. It can also cause problems with a person's digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels and heart.

Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Taib, head of the Shefa' board, said DNP probably affects 65 percent of diabetics and people often do not know they have it.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that 56 percent of sufferers are not aware they have it. He said DNP could be controlled with certain medicines if diagnosed early.

He said diabetes can cause other health complications including heart disease. The country could have epidemic-level heart disease cases if people do not take drastic action, Al-Taib warned.

Data from the International Diabetes Federation showed that there were 382 million adults with diabetes in 2013. At the current rate, there would be 592 million sufferers by the year 2030.

The Saudi government has launched many campaigns around the disease.