In the early days, livestock breeders used primitive remedies before modern development.

Veterinary Care: Enhancing Food Security

Establishment of the College of Veterinary Medicine at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa in 1395 AH.

183 government veterinary clinics contribute to the development and protection of livestock.

Since ancient times, people in our cherished Kingdom knew ways to care for animals and treat them when sick before the opening of modern veterinary clinics. Cauterization (branding) was considered one of the most important and famous treatment methods, where a hot piece of iron is used to burn specific areas in the animal's body (such as the neck or legs) to treat joint diseases, lameness, or 'hiyam' (a disease affecting camels). Phlebotomy (cupping) was also used, which is a therapeutic method based on making a small incision in specific places of the animal's skin (such as the ears or tail) to draw out bad blood and relieve congestion, especially when the animal is infected with colds or poisoning. In addition, herbs and medicinal plants were used; desert plants such as colocynth, myrrh, and black seed were used to make poultices or mixtures given to the animal to relieve abdominal pain and colic, or to disinfect wounds and expel worms. Tar (pitch) was also used to coat the animal's body to treat mange, ticks, and insect bites, and to cleanse wounds of maggots (worms). Quarantine (isolation) was also common, as shepherds would isolate animals sick with contagious diseases (such as mange or rinderpest) from the healthy herd to prevent the spread of the epidemic, which was known in the past as 'protecting the healthy'. This situation remained prevalent in dealing with animals, their care, and primitive treatment until the General Directorate of Agriculture was established during the reign of the late Founding King, His Majesty King Abdulaziz - may God rest his soul - in 1367 AH (1948 AD), which was affiliated at that time with the Ministry of Finance, where livestock received care and attention. In 1373 AH, the General Directorate of Agriculture was transformed into the Ministry of Agriculture and Water by royal decree, and the ministry commenced its duties and work through six agricultural units in Riyadh, Al-Kharj, Al-Ahsa, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Jazan, and Buraidah, and the establishment of a water and dams office in the ministry. In 1395 AH, modern institutional veterinary care began in the Kingdom with the establishment of the College of Veterinary Medicine at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, making it the first nucleus and the only college of veterinary medicine in the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states. With academic expansion, postgraduate and master's programs were later launched in other universities such as Qassim University to empower cadres, and veterinary clinics expanded across the Kingdom until they reached 183 government veterinary clinics contributing to the development and protection of livestock. The year 2024 witnessed the honoring of the first batch of female veterinary graduates in the Kingdom by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, with specialized disciplines, alongside the emergence of modern and prominent specialties at the regional level, such as the appointment of the first female marine veterinarian in the Kingdom at the National Center for Wildlife Development.

Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary medicine is considered a medical specialization concerned with livestock in the Kingdom, aiming to develop and protect them from imported and endemic diseases, in addition to preserving human health from zoonotic diseases shared between humans and animals, as well as providing safe and healthy food for the consumer and achieving the principle of animal welfare. The College of Veterinary Medicine was established at King Faisal University in 1975 to be the first college of veterinary medicine in Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture plays a major role in supporting veterinary medicine by establishing clinics, laboratories, and veterinary quarantines to detect, diagnose, and treat animals, combat and control diseases, and prevent their entry into the Kingdom. It also ensures public health and food safety within slaughterhouses, private veterinary clinics and pharmacies, dairy projects, animal fattening projects, poultry projects, pharmaceutical companies, and vaccine and serum centers. The Saudi Veterinary Medical Association seeks the professional development of personnel working in the veterinary medical profession in veterinary medical specializations. The association was established in 1422 AH / 2001 AD with the approval of the Board of Directors of King Faisal University, and is headquartered at King Faisal University. The association implements workshops, lectures, training courses, and scientific conferences to achieve the desired goal, and works to establish the required communication between all workers and those interested in this profession. The College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the colleges of King Faisal University, established in 1395 AH, employing its energies and scientific and professional capabilities to develop the veterinary medicine profession and advance it to levels that make it an important tributary of the national economy and a major enhancer of local food security. The College of Veterinary Medicine seeks to enhance the pivotal role of male and female veterinarians in protecting public health, as they are the first line of defense for humans through their role in protecting society from transmitted diseases and working to ensure the safety of its food, embodying the concept of One Health, in which human, animal, and environmental health are linked. The College of Veterinary Medicine also supplies the local and regional community with scientifically and professionally qualified veterinarians to work in the various fields of animal medicine and treatment. Furthermore, the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at Qassim University, one of Qassim University's colleges, is a supporter in this regard, as it provides advanced and accredited educational programs in agricultural, veterinary, and food fields to prepare qualified competencies meeting the needs of the labor market, and offers applied research, consultancy, and training services to the local community, contributing to agricultural, food, and environmental development by applying standards and activating partnerships nationally and internationally.

Establishment of Clinics, Laboratories, and Quarantines

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture plays a major role in supporting veterinary medicine through the establishment of veterinary clinics, laboratories, and quarantines for detecting, diagnosing, and treating animals, confronting and combating diseases, and preventing their entry into the Kingdom. It also ensures public health and food safety inside slaughterhouses, private veterinary clinics and pharmacies, dairy projects, animal fattening projects, poultry projects, pharmaceutical companies, and vaccine and serum centers. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in the Kingdom provides its veterinary services for livestock through a wide network of facilities, as the total number of government veterinary clinics reaches 187 clinics, in addition to 200 mobile veterinary clinics covering all parts of the Kingdom.

The Veterinary Medical Association