CDC in Saudi Arabia

To prevent the spread of disease regionally and around the world it is critical that countries respond to public health threats quickly and effectively within their borders. CDC works with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen its public health systems and build capacity for disease outbreak response, surveillance, laboratory systems, and workforce development.

CDC supports strengthening Saudi Arabia’s public health workforce to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks. In 1989 CDC assisted in the establishment of a Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) that trains field epidemiologists—or disease detectives—to identify and contain outbreaks before they become epidemics. FETP residents develop skills to gather critical data and use it to make public health program recommendations.

The two-year training program leads to a diploma in Field Epidemiology from King Saud University, which is recognized as equivalent to a Master’s Degree by Saudi Council for Health Specialties. Since its establishment, the program has graduated 29 cohorts and 142 residents, many of whom have assumed public health positions in the country.

The Saudi Arabia FETP was the first program in the Middle East. It currently has four residents from Oman and is actively recruiting residents from other countries in the region.