The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expanded its humanitarian healthcare efforts to Lagos State, bringing its renowned Saudi Noor eye care outreach programme to Gbagada General Hospital from May 20 to 27, 2025.
In a statement issued Thursday by Mohammed Alsahabi, Press Attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Nigeria, the outreach is being conducted by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) as part of its ongoing global mission to support underserved communities with critical medical services.
The Lagos leg of the initiative will offer free diagnostic eye screenings, cataract surgeries with intraocular lens (IOL) implants, treatment for refractive errors, and prescription eyeglasses to beneficiaries. It marks a significant expansion of KSrelief’s efforts to address the growing demand for eye health services in Nigeria’s urban centres.
“This effort is being executed under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” Alsahabi stated, adding that the programme reaffirms Saudi Arabia’s commitment to combating preventable blindness globally.
Since 2019, KSrelief has performed over 218,000 eye examinations and restored sight to more than 21,000 Nigerians through surgery. Over 45,000 eyeglasses have also been distributed across states including Yobe, Kano, and Bauchi.
Gbagada General Hospital, a major referral centre in Lagos, is now a focal point for the outreach. According to Alsahabi, this expansion reflects a broader awareness of the urban-rural healthcare divide and the need to provide equitable access to specialized care.
Globally, KSrelief has implemented over 3,400 relief projects in more than 107 countries since its inception in 2015, with eye care missions active in Sudan, Yemen, Bangladesh, and Mauritania.
With this latest initiative, Saudi Arabia strengthens its partnership with Nigeria, reaffirms its dedication to humanitarian health missions, and supports efforts to eliminate preventable blindness.
