Healthcare Training
BLS and ACLS: which course are you actually booking?
Published 2026-10-23 · Last reviewed 2026-10-23 · Hikma Institute
How basic and advanced life support differ, and why a completion certificate is not the same thing as a card from an awarding body.
The practical difference
Basic life support (BLS) covers high-quality CPR, AED use, choking response, and team roles for adults, children, and infants. Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) is aimed at clinicians who already manage cardiac emergencies with ECG interpretation, airway management, and emergency medications. Many clinical jobs ask for BLS. ACLS is a separate course for a narrower audience.
Your facility, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, or an employer policy decides what a role must hold. Hikma does not set that requirement.
What Hikma currently offers
Hikma’s current life-support pathway follows Saudi Heart Association practice for the BLS program listed on this website. American Heart Association cards are not offered unless a cohort is explicitly confirmed as an AHA program. Online theory, where used, does not replace the in-person skills assessment. A coordinator confirms the session after the booking request. Dates are published only when a session is confirmed.
The document Hikma issues for training it delivers is a certificate of completion, unless the enrolment confirmation names another issuer. Passing an external exam, and paying that exam fee, is a separate step.