Free CME Hours ⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣2026: The Complete Guide for Healthcare Practitioners + Low-Cost Alternatives

The direct answer: are there free CME hours, and what does "free" really mean?

⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣ Yes, some accredited CME hours are free, but they are usually not enough to renew your classification. Providers of SCFHS-accredited content bear the costs of accreditation, registration, instructors and technical support, so it is rare for them to offer large numbers of hours for free.

What you find for free generally falls into three groups:

• Limited free events from some health centres or universities (1-3 hours per event).
• Free international courses from platforms ⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣such as Coursera or WHO Academy, which need a complicated equivalency process.
• Awareness content that is not accredited, which is described as CME but cannot be used to renew your classification.

⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣ If you need 20, 30 or 60 hours to renew, searching for "completely free" will cost more time than it is worth. The practical solution is usually low-priced accredited courses starting from 49 SAR, less than the price of two coffees.

Real sources of free CME hours in 2026

If you want to try the free routes, these are the main ones as of 2026:

1. The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) directly

⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣ The Commission occasionally runs free events or accredited webinars. Check the events section on scfhs.org.sa regularly. The ⁠​⁠⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁢⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁢⁢⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁢⁢⁢⁣main problem is that free events are limited and seats fill up quickly.

2. Public universities and university hospitals

⁠​⁠ Some universities offer accredited lectures free of charge to their staff, and sometimes to outside practitioners. The colleges of medicine at King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University are among the best-known providers. Follow their official pages on Twitter/X.

3. International platforms with an equivalency process

Platforms such as Medscape, Coursera and WHO Academy offer free ⁠​⁠medical courses, but they are internationally accredited rather than accredited by SCFHS directly. To benefit from them you must submit an equivalency request through the Mumarris Plus system, and this process:

• can take weeks to be approved,
• can be rejected if the content does not match your specialty's requirements,
• may give you fewer hours than the course's original total.

4. Pharmaceutical and medical-device company webinars

⁠​⁠ Some companies run free accredited webinars as part of their educational activities. Search LinkedIn or subscribe to the newsletters of companies such as Pfizer, GSK and Roche in Saudi Arabia. The drawback is that these webinars focus on one product or condition and may not suit your specialty.

What nobody tells you about free sources

⁠​⁠ After speaking with hundreds of practitioners, we found that relying on free sources alone to renew a classification usually costs more than it saves. How?

• Lost time: hours spent ⁠​⁠looking for genuinely accredited free courses, tracking their dates and trying to register before seats run out.
• Risk of delay: getting close ⁠​⁠to your classification expiry without completing your hours can delay your licence renewal and sometimes lead to late fees.
• Uneven quality: the content ⁠​⁠of some free courses is shallow and adds little to your professional development.
• No guarantee the hours are posted: sometimes you ⁠​⁠attend a free course and later find the hours were not recorded on your account because of administrative problems.

The smart alternative: accredited hours at a low price

⁠​⁠ Instead of spending weeks searching for free options, you can get CME hours that are 100% accredited by SCFHS for prices starting from 49 SAR per course. Here is how the two compare:

⁠​⁠ If you value your time as a healthcare practitioner (an average working hour in Saudi healthcare is worth roughly 80 to 200 SAR), paying 49 SAR to save five hours of searching is a net gain.

How to choose the right course for your specialty

Whichever source you ⁠​⁠pick (free or low-priced), check these points before registering:

1. Verify the accreditation directly on mustamir.scfhs.org.sa. ⁠​⁠Every accredited course has an activity number you can check.
2. Read the target-audience description. Accredited courses ⁠​⁠state clearly which specialties are eligible (physician, pharmacist, nurse, lab technician, etc.).
3. Make sure the dates do not clash with other ⁠​⁠courses you registered for. Mumarris Plus does not accept hours from two courses that overlap in time.
4. Read the reviews of practitioners who attended the course before.
5. Check the refund policy in case you cannot attend.

Frequently asked questions about free CME hours

Can I get free CME hours accredited by the Saudi Commission?

⁠​⁠ Yes, SCFHS offers some free events, but they are very limited and are usually not enough to renew a classification. Some international platforms such as Coursera and WHO Academy also offer courses, but most of them need an equivalency approval from the Commission.

How many CME hours do I need to renew my professional classification?

⁠​⁠ It depends on your specialty and professional grade. You usually need between 20 and 60 accredited hours per renewal cycle. You can check the requirements for your classification on our classification status check page.

What is the difference between free and paid courses?

⁠​⁠ Free courses are limited in hours and dates, and you often have to verify their accreditation yourself. Low-priced paid courses such as CME Hours courses come with ⁠​⁠guaranteed SCFHS accreditation and the hours are posted 2-4 days after the course ends.

When do CME hours appear in Mumarris Plus?

⁠​⁠ After you finish the course and attend all lectures, the hours are usually added to your Mumarris Plus account within 2 to 4 working days.

Where can I find accredited free CME courses without paying?

⁠​⁠ Start with SCFHS's own events, then lectures at universities and university hospitals, then medical company webinars. Do not rely on them alone: opportunities are limited and seats fill up fast, so most practitioners complete the rest with low-priced accredited courses.

Do free CME hours count in Mumarris Plus?

⁠​⁠ They count only if the activity is accredited by SCFHS (it has an activity number you can verify) or has been approved through equivalency. A free course that is not accredited will add nothing to your balance however good it is, so verify accreditation before you start.

Can I register for more than one course at the same time?

⁠​⁠ No. The accreditation system requires that the periods of your registered courses do not overlap, so that your hours are accepted. Even if the daily lecture times differ, overlapping course dates are not accepted.

The bottom line: the right decision in 2026

⁠​⁠ Looking for free CME hours makes complete sense, especially with the financial pressure on healthcare workers. But in practice, relying entirely on free sources rarely works for a full classification renewal. The smart strategy:

• Collect 3-5 hours ⁠​⁠a year from accredited free sources (when clear opportunities appear).
• Complete the rest ⁠​⁠with low-priced accredited courses that guarantee the hours are posted and the content is good.
• Register early, before ⁠​⁠your classification is close to expiring, to avoid the rush.

Get CME opportunities as they appear

⁠​⁠ In our WhatsApp channel and Telegram group we share new courses, date reminders and offers, so you never miss an opportunity or get close to your classification expiry without hours.