The Global Innovation Index has ranked Riyadh among the top 100 innovation clusters worldwide for 2026, making it the only Gulf city to attain this classification. Riyadh placed 92nd globally, with key metrics including 419 venture capital deals in innovation and 162 international patent applications filed. The report highlighted the main entities contributing to the capital's position in research and innovation. In research, King Saud University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and Prince Sultan University led the efforts, while SABIC and Aramco spearheaded innovation contributions. The ranking reflects the Kingdom's integrated research and innovation ecosystem, supporting researchers and innovators in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
