The first American operated private dental practice in Saudi Arabia opened in Riyadh in November 1985 sponsored by General Arabian Medical and Allied Services, Ltd. (GAMA) The GAMA Dental Center is located at the FAL Shopping Center, under the direction of Dr. William F. Fisher.
     While living and working at the developing King Khaled International Airport Dr. Fisher, then Chief of Dentistry at the Airport hospital, recognized the need in Riyadh for a modern dental operation. The purpose of this operation is to provide American quality care, equipment and supplies to Saudis and expatriates in the Riyadh area. This practice,  provides general dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthetics and dental hygiene.
     The project began by identifying the site and designing the floor plan, taking into account the modern concepts of patient traffic flow. The overall layout was coordinated by Universal Dental Supply (UDS) of  Castro Valley, California and included floor plans, cabinet design, equipment, consumables and decor. Next, personnel were identified and recruited from the U.S., Ireland and the Philippines.
     Approximately US$ 500,000.00 were spent on the equipment, consumables and office space improvements. After the equipment was ordered, shipped and received, combining the services of UDS and Arabian Medical Hospital Supply Company (AMHSCO) of Riyadh and Houston, Texas, the task of installation began. A completely American approach was used which means emphasis on preventative dentistry.  Under the supervision of the dental hygienist, emphasis is on an individual prevention program tailoring the home care regime to each patient's specific need. This approach also means solid and modern equipment including , Cavi-jets, Royal brand dental chairs, Belmont x-rays in each treatment room, a panoramic-cephalometric x-ray for orthodontic cases, fiber optic handpieces, digicom soundless communication system and nitrous oxide for psycho-sedation. 
     In addition, emphasis on patient safety is also stringently practiced at GAMA Dental Center. All instruments are heat or chemically sterilized, specially the handpieces.  The water supply to each unit is separate and bottled water is used rather than tap water.  This is to ensure that only clean water is used.  The water lines are also cleaned with a betadine solution daily to prevent bacterial growth.
     GAMA Dental Center started with a staff of five and grew to its present staff of 40.  Four additional operatories were also added to the original 10 when GDC expanded its operations in 1994.
     Dr. Fisher stayed on as director until July 2000 and was replaced by Dr. Robert M. Parks.   Dr. Parks is a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia with a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery and  has been working at GDC since 1990.
     GAMA Dental Center continues to make every effort to provide American standard quality care to anyone who is interested.