Posted by : Aahil Shaik Thursday, November 13, 2025

How Saudi Arabia is Investing Billions to Drive Research, Innovation, and Development



Saudi Arabia’s spending on research and development (R&D) increased by 30.4% in 2024, reaching SR29.48 billion, compared to 2023. The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released the Research and Development Statistics 2024 report on Thursday.

Spending by Sector

➤ Business sector: SR11.87 billion (40.3% of total spending)

➤ Government sector: SR11.86 billion (40.2%)

➤ Higher education sector: SR5.75 billion (19.5%) Trending: Procedure to confirm the verification of all types of visit visas in Saudi Arabia

Employment Growth

The number of people working in R&D increased by 14.7%, reaching 56,593 employees.

The number of researchers grew by 12.8%, totaling over 41,000 in 2024.

Funding Sources

๐Ÿ”น Government sector funding: SR15.69 billion (53.2% of total R&D funding)

๐Ÿ”น Business sector funding: SR12.1 billion (41.1%)

๐Ÿ”น Higher education sector funding: SR1.69 billion (5.7%)

Employment by Sector

๐Ÿ‘‰ Higher education sector: over 40,000 employees (71.3% of total R&D workforce)

๐Ÿ‘‰ Business sector: over 12,000 employees (22%)

๐Ÿ‘‰ Government sector: about 4,000 employees (6.7%)

Researchers by Sector and Gender

✅ Higher education sector: over 34,000 researchers (83.4% of total)

๐Ÿ”˜ 72.6% male, 27.4% female

✅ Business sector: about 4,800 researchers (11.6% of total)

๐Ÿ”˜ 73.1% male, 26.9% female

✅ Government sector: over 2,000 researchers (5% of total)


Purpose of the Report

Every year, GASTAT publishes the Research and Development Statistics. These statistics are important indicators that show how much is being spent on R&D, how many people work in this field, and how many researchers there are. The data help support national policies, encourage innovation, and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s competitiveness.

How Saudi Arabia is Investing Billions to Drive Research, Innovation, and Development
How Saudi Arabia is Investing Billions to Drive Research, Innovation, and Development

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