Claire Smith was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of King’s College Hospital London – Jeddah making her the first female British CEO in Saudi Arabia. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, Claire brings a wealth of knowledge demonstrating her commitment to both clinical excellence and effective leadership.

Claire has a proven track record of partnering with leading UK Academic teaching hospitals to deliver healthcare across the UK, excelling in strategic implementation, clinical operations, quality, and patient experience. Claire gained her experiences working clinically in the NHS before moving to private healthcare in the UK, culminating in serving as the CEO for HCA Healthcare’s Joint Ventures for 10 years, bringing together the best of public and private healthcare in the UK to the benefit of patients and their families.

Being a passionate and engaging leader, whose journey started as a nurse, Claire’s commitment to advancing healthcare goes beyond clinical practise. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK, phase 1 clinical trials unit in London. Claire holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from King’s College University