Addiction management and rehabilitation programs in Saudi Arabia: a scoping review of current practices and opportunities for healthcare technology integration

Abstract

Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a growing public health challenge in Saudi Arabia despite strict legal and social controls. Addiction management is primarily delivered through centralized inpatient and residential rehabilitation programs; however, the available evidence remains fragmented, and opportunities for healthcare technology integration have not been comprehensively synthesized. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to map addiction management and rehabilitation programs in Saudi Arabia and identify opportunities for healthcare technology integration. Comprehensive searches were performed across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and supplementary sources from database inception to October 2025. Original empirical studies evaluating addiction treatment, rehabilitation, or aftercare services in Saudi Arabia were included. Data were systematically charted and synthesized using a descriptive thematic narrative approach. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Nine studies published between 1995 and 2024 met the inclusion criteria. The evidence demonstrated a progressive evolution from predominantly detoxification-focused services toward multidisciplinary rehabilitation models incorporating therapeutic communities and structured aftercare. Despite these advances, long-term retention remained limited, relapse and hospital readmission were common, and community-based rehabilitation was underrepresented. Social determinants, particularly unemployment, family conflict, and limited social support, consistently influenced rehabilitation outcomes. Healthcare technology integration was minimal, with electronic health records primarily used for retrospective analyses and no studies evaluating telehealth, mobile health applications, remote monitoring, or artificial intelligence-supported addiction care. Methodological quality was predominantly moderate, with three studies rated as high quality, five as moderate quality, and one as low quality. Although addiction rehabilitation services in Saudi Arabia have evolved toward more comprehensive multidisciplinary models of care, important gaps remain in long-term recovery support, community-based rehabilitation, standardized outcome monitoring, and digital health integration. Strengthening aftercare and adopting healthcare technologies may improve continuity of care, enhance recovery outcomes, and support the ongoing transformation of addiction services under Saudi Vision 2030.