In the third episode of Saudi statesman Sheikh Jamil Al-Hujailan’s memoirs, a key figure in the Kingdom's diplomacy, he shares the story of his time as both Minister of Health and Minister of Information.
This came after a “high-ranking figure” accused him of “harboring communists” in the Ministry of Information.
Al-Hujailan recounts asking King Faisal to step down from his role, citing his “frustration and bitterness” in trying to secure a basic budget for the Ministry of Health from the Ministry of Finance.
A royal committee approved his request without any direct discussion.
Asharq Al-Awsat is exclusively publishing excerpts from the memoirs, which will be available at the Riyadh International Book Fair under the title “Jamil Al-Hujailan: A Journey Through the Era of Seven Kings” at the Raff Publishing booth.
Al-Hujailan Writes His Own Appointment Letter as Health Minister
In May 1970, King Faisal told Minister Al-Hujailan he would be appointed as Health Minister.
Al-Hujailan recalls, “Days went by without an official royal decree. During that time, I went with Dr. Rashad Pharaon, King Faisal’s special advisor, to visit Crown Prince Khalid. In his office, we found notable figures and princes.”
“The discussion shifted to the media, and a well-known public figure, without any official role, accused the Ministry of Information—and me as its minister—of harboring communist elements among senior staff. A heated argument followed,” adds Al-Hujailan.
Dr. Pharaon informed King Faisal of the incident, but the king didn’t ask Al-Hujailan about it.
A few days later, Sheikh Saleh Al-Abbad, head of the Royal Court, told Al-Hujailan that the king wanted to appoint him as Health Minister, in addition to his role as Minister of Information, and asked him to personally draft the royal decree by hand.
Al-Hujailan notes, “The king wanted to make it clear that he wouldn’t allow any attacks on his ministers or doubts about the loyalty of government employees.”
The royal decree was issued in May 1970, making Al-Hujailan both Health Minister and Acting Minister of Information.
A few months later, Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Anqari was appointed as the new Minister of Information, and Al-Hujailan focused solely on the Health Ministry.
Reflecting on this, Al-Hujailan says, “I joined the Health Ministry with a dislike for doctors, medicine, hospitals, and visiting patients. Suddenly, I found myself in a world I knew nothing about. These were my thoughts as I settled into my new role.”
Tackling Cholera Outbreak and the Return of Pilgrims’ Plane
A few months into Al-Hujailan's role as Health Minister, a cholera outbreak struck the Eastern Province, causing over 150 deaths.
Al-Hujailan recalls, “I was very anxious. Facing such a crisis so early in my job felt like a warning of the challenges ahead... The epidemic was hitting one part of the country and could spread further.”
King Faisal formed a committee, led by then Interior Minister King Fahd, granting him full authority.
The Health Ministry quickly took action, introducing preventive measures that locals initially resisted. A royal palace was turned into an emergency hospital to treat thousands of cases. After concerted efforts, Saudi Arabia was officially declared free of cholera.
Al-Hujailan recalls that during the 1972 Hajj season, a Middle East Airlines flight from Nigeria arrived in Jeddah with over 200 passengers. The flight came from a cholera-affected area and ignored World Health Organization guidelines.
Al-Hujailan ordered the passengers to be denied entry and forced the plane to leave Jeddah an hour after landing.
Hospital Administration Delegation
Hospitals had traditionally been managed by doctors, which was the only approach the ministry had known.
While it might seem logical, as doctors understand hospital operations, effective management involves more than just medical care; it also includes personnel management, maintenance, procurement, and administrative tasks—areas typically outside a doctor’s training.
Hospital management is a specialized field.
Al-Hujailan explains, “After thorough research, we discovered that US universities offer programs in hospital management for non-doctors. We were excited about this idea and decided to pursue it.”
“We sent our first group of non-doctor graduates to an American university specializing in hospital management. They completed their studies and returned to take on management roles in some of our hospitals,” Al-Hujailan adds.
First Kidney Dialysis Machine
Al-Hujailan worked to understand the complexities of the Health Ministry.
He recalls an experience that shows his commitment to his new role: “I received a letter from a Saudi citizen living in Lebanon, describing his struggles with kidney dialysis twice a week at the American University Hospital in Beirut.”
“The financial burden was overwhelming for him. I had never heard of dialysis before; my background is in law, not medicine.”
Al-Hujailan adds, “I called Dr. Saeed Rabah, the director of the Central Hospital in Riyadh, a reliable administrator known for his efficiency. I asked him to secure a kidney dialysis machine for the hospital and instructed him to travel to Beirut to meet with officials at the American University Hospital for assistance.”
“Within months, the dialysis machine was operational at the Central Hospital, along with a specialized technician loaned to us by the American University Hospital. This unexpected acquisition greatly improved our healthcare services and led to more machines being added to other hospitals.”
Request for Exemption, the “Weak Justification”
After three years as Health Minister, Al-Hujailan began to contemplate stepping down.
He notes, “I started feeling overwhelmed by the growing workload, which was impacting my health. I realized this role needed many years of continuous effort, which I might not be able to maintain. Additionally, the Finance Ministry’s attitude towards the Health Ministry’s requests was another concern.”
Al-Hujailan explains, “It’s normal for the Finance Ministry to discuss budget requests with other ministries to ensure fair distribution of state funds. However, I felt the Finance Ministry’s strict approach towards us, despite royal orders to support our work, limited our ambitions for better healthcare services.”
“Meanwhile, I saw the Finance Ministry approving hundreds of millions of riyals for the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard to build hospitals for their personnel.”
He adds, “While I appreciated the funding for the National Guard and Defense Ministry’s health projects, which benefit national healthcare, I also felt frustration as I struggled to secure even the basics for our ministry. The Finance Ministry didn’t intentionally undervalue the Health Ministry, but they viewed our goals as excessive, which led to ongoing disputes.”
Eventually, Al-Hujailan decided to formally request his exemption from the ministerial role.
“I needed to find a way to present my request. I ruled out speaking directly to King Faisal, fearing he might ask a question I wouldn’t know how to answer. Instead, I chose to write to him to avoid the challenges of a direct conversation.”
He submitted his request to the king, who did not summon him for discussion. Instead, it was referred to a special committee that included prominent figures such as Crown Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz and Finance Minister Musaid bin Abdulrahman.
Al-Hujailan recalls, “My reasons seemed weak, especially my health concerns, and Prince Fahd wasn’t convinced. The committee eventually agreed to my request, but what struck me was that King Faisal never addressed it with me, as if my letter had been ignored.”
