✍️ Riyadh – BETH News Agency

The number of research laboratories in Saudi Arabia has surged to more than 1,000 labs affiliated with 30 universities and research centers, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve qualitative excellence and enhance its international standing in research and innovation. The national research sector now includes over 36,000 scientists, researchers, and innovators, who contribute to developing creative solutions to national and global challenges.

Vision 2030... A Key Driver

The Research, Development, and Innovation Authority affirmed that the successes achieved are driven by Saudi Vision 2030, highlighting that more than 55,000 scientific papers have been published under the four national priority areas:

Human Health

Environmental Sustainability and Basic Needs

Leadership in Energy and Industry

Future Economies

Innovative outputs in partnership with the private sector grew by 96%.

Strategic Alliances and Key Initiatives

The report noted several pivotal initiatives to strengthen the research ecosystem:

Establishment of four national research alliances, comprising more than 75 entities and research centers.

Launch of the National Semiconductor Cluster to localize chip design.

Inauguration of the National Open Access Portal, enabling researchers to access Saudi Arabia’s advanced research infrastructure.

Major Achievements

Key achievements highlighted include:

Launching four national missions in health and sustainability research.

Announcement of the Saudi Innovation Grants Program to support SMEs and entrepreneurs.

Achieving an 84% growth in scientific publishing within the top 1% globally.

Increasing the impact of scientific citations by 30% compared to G20 countries.

Notable Figures

Over 36,000 researchers are now registered under the national priority areas.

10 innovation zones were registered with the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation.

12 technology transfer offices have been activated at universities and research centers.

More than 2,500 scientists have benefited from research grant programs.

160 startups have joined the national innovation ecosystem.

Over 400 projects and 80 research labs received funding exceeding SAR 800 million.

Saudi Arabia’s Path to Becoming a Global Innovation Hub

The Authority emphasized that these accelerating strides in research and development are part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to become a global center for research and innovation, and a key producer of innovative solutions that enhance quality of life both locally and internationally.