Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
The vaccination was carried out by Ministry of Health officials and captured on camera.
The Saudi Minister of Health, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, extended his "thanks and gratitude" to the Crown Prince for his determination to provide vaccines to all Saudi Arabians.
"What we are witnessing today is among the gains materialised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the pandemic," he said.
Dr Al-Rabiah also drew a comparison between the country's Covid response and the framework laid out in the kingdom's economic reform plan Vision 2030 which is guided by the mantra that "Prevention is better than a cure".
The Saudi health minister was himself vaccinated on December 17, a day after the kingdom received its first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Saudi health authorities approved the 95 per cent-effective vaccine from the US-German partnership on December 10.
Vaccination stations have been set up throughout the kingdom, and 50,000 people registered to receive the vaccine in the 24 hours after the minister urged Saudis and residents to sign up for it on the health ministry app.
"Over the last nine months, I anxiously watched the number of registered cases. But today, I’ll be happily watching the number of those who are vaccinated," Dr Al Rabiah said at the time.
Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry said in November that it hoped to have enough vaccines to cover 70 per cent of the kingdom's population by the end of 2021.
Registration to get the vaccine has already started through the Tawakulna application for vulnerable groups identified by the health ministry.
Dr Abdullah Asiri, assistant undersecretary at the ministry, said they would be obtained through global vaccine programme Covax and provided free of charge to all under the direction of King Salman.
For developing countries that lack the resources to buy large quantities of vaccine, the World Health Organisation created the Covax scheme in partnership with the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi).
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Coronavirus around the world gallery
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Dr Diana Hristova, left and Dr Yanislav Mitkov pose for a portrait in the intensive care unit of Aleksandrovska Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria. Getty Images -
A nurse prepares a dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at the General Hospital in Mexico City, Mexico. Reuters -
Dr Joseph Varon, right, and Jeffrey Ndove, left, perform a procedure for hypothermia treatment on a patient in the Covid-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Centre in Houston, Texas. AFP -
A woman holds a candle during an outdoor Christmas Eve Service of Lights at the Granada Presbyterian Church in Coral Gables, Florida. AP Photo -
A woman gets her temperature checked before entering Immanuel Church in Jakarta, Indonesia. Getty Images -
Victor Nieto, a Catholic deacon of the Capillas de la Fe funeral home, conducts a farewell ceremony for Jose Parrado, who died from Covid-19, outside Chapinero cemetery in Bogota, Colombia. Reuters -
Travellers wear facemasks at Miami International Airport. AFP -
A shopper rides the escalator next to a giant Christmas tree at a mall in Ottawa, Ontario. The Canadian Press via AP -
A man stands on social distancing signs during an online Christmas service from Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea. Getty Images -
A container carrying part of the first batch of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia is downloaded from the plane after its arrival at Ministro Pistarini International airport in Ezeiza, Argentina. Getty Images -
A Covid-19 stay at home sign is seen at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images -
A view from above shows Deacon Rey Marin, centre right, and Father Christopher Smith arrive in a procession during a Christmas Eve Roman Catholic Mass at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. AFP
