Upon the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and after noticing an increase in the number of kidney failure patients who were seeking treatment abroad for kidney transplant operations, and due to the difficulties, hardships, and long waiting periods these patients and their companions faced during travel, in addition to the high costs borne by the state, His Majesty saw fit to establish a national center whose main mission would be to follow up on all aspects of kidney failure patients and develop a national program for kidney and other organ transplantation. His initiative was successful, resulting in the establishment of the National Kidney Center through Royal Decree No. 7/1561/M on 19/5/1404 AH.
After years of effort following the establishment and development of the center, and the formulation of the general policy for organ transplantation programs in the Kingdom of saudi Arabia, by specialized scientific committees, the center became responsible for monitoring and implementing these policies in various hospitals, kidney centers, and organ transplantation centers throughout the Kingdom. With the expansion of the center's activities and services to include various organ transplantations, Royal Decree No. 80 was issued on 20/6/1413 AH to change the name of the center to the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation.
The general objectives of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation are to develop the general policy that leads to raising the level of preventive and therapeutic health services provided to citizens in the field of end-stage organ failure, and to implement the policy in cooperation with the relevant authorities for organ transplantation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.