Diabetes Technology in Saudi Arabia: Current Status and Future Directions

Background: The increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes have led to a strain on health care systems, necessitating innovation in diabetes care delivery and substantial resource allocation for disease management and treatment of complications. Recently, Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in digital transformation, implementing cutting-edge technologies across various sectors, including the health sector. Aims: To develop a report that examines the current status, identify challenges and opportunities in implementing diabetes technology solutions for diabetes management, and provide a strategic roadmap for enhancing the accessibility to diabetes technology solutions. Methods: The Saudi National Diabetes Center (SNDC) convened a group of experts to develop a comprehensive report that serves a dual purpose. First, it provides a narrative review on insulin pumps and CGMs that are approved by the SFDA and discusses their clinical effectiveness based on local studies. Second, it presents a comprehensive report on the current status and future directions of diabetes technology in Saudi Arabia. Results: Our experts identified six major barriers to the adoption of diabetes technology solutions in Saudi Arabia and proposed 14 strategic initiatives that can help overcome these barriers and transform the current overwhelmed diabetes care model into a more innovative, effective, efficient, safe, accessible, and cost-effective model of care. Conclusion: While Saudi Arabia offers one of the most diverse ranges of diabetes technology solutions globally, major accessibility barriers persist. The SNDC Diabetes Technology Report is the first report developed primarily for policymakers, regulatory bodies, clinicians, academicians, and industry partners to address these accessibility barriers.