An In-Depth Look at Radiation Therapist’s Education and Training in Saudi Arabia: A National Survey

Introduction: Radiation therapists (RTTs) are central to safe and effective cancer care, yet little is known about the education and training of RTTs in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the current status of RTT education and training in the country, identify existing gaps, and compare the findings to regional and international benchmarks.

Methodology: A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August 2025, targeting RTTs across Saudi Arabia. The survey collected demographic data, education and training experience, and institutional curriculum information. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: A total of 70 RTTs responded (41% response rate). Among respondents, 60% were female and 40% male. The majority (64.3%) were Saudi nationals, while the remaining 35.7% were non-Saudis. Most respondents held bachelor’s degrees (78.6%) and completed clinical placements of at least 12 months (71.4%). 54.5% of institutions reported implementing IAEA guidelines, either fully or partially. The majority of RTTs (67.4%) received their education abroad, primarily from the UK and Australia, although domestic training is gradually expanding. Most respondents worked in major urban centres, with workforce distribution concentrated in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Conclusion: RTT education in Saudi Arabia shows encouraging trends in clinical placement and formal education duration; however, challenges persist regarding curriculum standardisation and the integration of international guidelines. This study underscores the pressing need to develop unified national curricula, enhance faculty development, and expand access to radiotherapy resources nationwide.

Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

License: © Author(s) 2026. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, and unrestricted adaptation and reuse, including for commercial purposes, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

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