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
🔹 Government sector funding: SR15.69 billion (53.2% of total R&D funding)
🔹 Business sector funding: SR12.1 billion (41.1%)
🔹 Higher education sector funding: SR1.69 billion (5.7%)
Employment by Sector
👉 Higher education sector: over 40,000 employees (71.3% of total R&D workforce)
👉 Business sector: over 12,000 employees (22%)
👉 Government sector: about 4,000 employees (6.7%)
Researchers by Sector and Gender
✅ Higher education sector: over 34,000 researchers (83.4% of total)
🔘 72.6% male, 27.4% female
✅ Business sector: about 4,800 researchers (11.6% of total)
🔘 73.1% male, 26.9% female
✅ Government sector: over 2,000 researchers (5% of total)
🔘 59% male, 41% female. Most Viewed: Saudi Arabia extends Huroob status corrections for domestic workers for another 6 months
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.
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