Saudi media report that the world largest dialysis center will be built in Jeddah within a year and a half. The center will have 140 dialysis machines and will offer counseling about kidney disease and training in the use of home dialysis machines. The center will be funded entirely through Saudi charities.

The articles note that kidney disease is growing in Saudi Arabia at a rate of 9%/year. The Hijaz region has the highest rate of kidney problems. No particular cause is cited for this, however.

Here’s Arab News‘s take on the story:

Jeddah to have Mideast’s biggest dialysis center

RIYADH: The biggest dialysis center in the Middle East, equipped with 140 machines to serve 800 patients daily, will be established in Jeddah at a cost of SR60 million. The center will be named after the late Makkah governor, Prince Abdul Majeed, and will be fully funded by the Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Foundation For the Care of Kidney Patients. The society has awarded the contract to Majd Al Ola Constructing and Contracting Establishment.

… Around 500 million people (10 percent of the world population) suffer from kidney problems and 90 percent of them have permanent kidney-related illnesses. The number also includes 1.5 million patients who are undergoing medical treatment following kidney transplants, he said, adding that the number would increase by 100 percent over the next 10 years. Patients who reach the end-stage of renal diseases are advised to undergo kidney transplant. It is estimated that there are about 11,000 dialysis patients in the Kingdom, with an annual increase of nine percent.

Shaheen said statistics indicate that the Western province has the highest incidence of kidney problems. “There are 3,300 patients who need dialysis but the number of dialysis units are limited,” he said.

Saudi Gazette‘s report:

Jeddah to have world’s largest kidney dialysis center