Everything you need to know about donating blood in Saudi Arabia as an expat
1 July 2021
| Last updated on 8 May 2023
Donating blood is a very simple and selfless way to save lives.
When you donate blood, you help some of your local community's most needy, from babies to the elderly.
In Saudi Arabia, the country sees a huge annual blood drive during Ramadan across hospitals.
The demand for human blood supply is higher than what's being collected from volunteers, so if you're healthy and capable of donating blood in Saudi Arabia, we strongly encourage contributing if you can.
You might ask yourself - where do I start?
In this article, we cover how and where to donate blood in Saudi Arabia, and the eligibility requirements for volunteers to get you clued up on the process.
Why should you donate blood?
At the moment, there is no substitute for human blood. Donating blood in Saudi Arabia can help save valuable lives. Thus, if patients young and old were to lose blood from surgery, injury, or if their body can't produce enough blood, we can only get blood from volunteer donors.
Who can donate blood in Saudi Arabia?
Blood banks in Saudi Arabia are reliant on volunteer donors. To become a blood donor, you must meet at least the following:
- Be at least 17 years old.
- Be in good health.
- You should also not have donated blood in the past 8 weeks.
Other requirements may change depending on the hospital and health centre.
Can I donate blood if I'm vaccinated against Covid-19?
According to the American Red Cross, you can indeed donate blood after receiving your Covid vaccine.
If you're unsure, the American Red Cross recommends waiting to give blood at least two weeks after the jab.
It's best to consult with the blood bank or hospital in Saudi Arabia first, if you've taken the coronavirus vaccine.
Where to donate blood in Saudi Arabia
Install the app
The Saudi Ministry of Health launched the Wateen smart app for voluntary blood donation in the kingdom. It's available on the App Store and on Google Play.
We recommend downloading and installing the app to start.
In hospitals
You can also donate blood at the following hospitals in Saudi Arabia:
- Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
- King Fahad Medical City
- Dr. Erfan and Bagedo General Hospital
The eligibility to be a blood donor may vary per hospital. We suggest calling the hospital ahead to inquire about volunteering to donate.
