SAUDI ARABIA BEYOND OIL: THE INVESTMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY TRANSFORMATION

[The SC]

MGI is publishing this report on Saudi Arabia at a time of change in the Kingdom. After a surge in prosperity over the past decade, the economy is at a transition point. We see a real opportunity for the Kingdom to inject new dynamism into the economy through a productivity- and investment-led transformation that could help ensure future growth, employment, and prosperity for all Saudis.
ƒ
An oil price boom from 2003 to 2013 fueled rising prosperity in Saudi Arabia, which became
the world’s 19th-largest economy. GDP doubled, household income rose by 75 percent, and
1.7 million jobs were created for Saudis, including for a growing number of Saudi women. The
government invested heavily in education, health, and infrastructure and built up reserves
amounting to almost 100 percent of GDP in 2014.
ƒ
The Kingdom can no longer grow based on oil revenue and public spending, in the face of
a changing global energy market and a demographic transition that will lead to a bulge in
the number of working-age Saudis by 2030. Current labor participation is 41 percent, and
productivity growth of 0.8 percent from 2003 to 2013 lagged behind that of many emerging
economies. Foreign workers on temporary contracts who are paid considerably less than Saudi nationals today constitute more than half the labor force.
ƒ
We have developed a model that integrates Saudi Arabia’s economic, labor market, and fiscal
perspectives. It shows that even if the Kingdom introduces reactive policy changes such as a
budget freeze or immigration curbs in the face of these challenging conditions, unemployment
will rise rapidly, household income will fall, and the fiscal position of the national government will deteriorate sharply.
ƒ
However, a productivity-led transformation of the economy could enable Saudi Arabia to again
double its GDP and create as many as six million new Saudi jobs by 2030. We estimate this
would require about $4 trillion in investment. Eight sectors—mining and metals, petrochemicals, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, tourism and hospitality, health care, finance, and construction—have the potential to generate more than 60 percent of this growth opportunity.
ƒ
To enable this transformation, Saudi Arabia will need to accelerate the shift from its current
government-led economic model to a more market-based approach. In the labor market,
greater workforce participation by Saudi men and women is essentia lto achieve higher
household income. The proportion and number of foreign workers may decline but they would
likely benefit from higher wages and better conditions. Faster productivity growth requires
better business regulation and more openness to competition, trade, and investment. Improved efficiency of spending and new revenue sources, possibly including taxes and higher domestic energy prices, can help ensure fiscal sustainability.
ƒ
All stakeholders, including the private sector, foreign investors, and households, will need to be
involved in this transformation. The state will have to embrace a new delivery philosophy while
businesses adapt to a more competitive environment and the individual Saudi citizen takes more personal accountability. The transition will be challenging, but the new era of economic growth and employment it could usher in would be more sustainable than the oil booms of the past.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
...

THE $4 TRILLION INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

These outcomes are not a foregone conclusion. There is another path. In the next 15 years
to 2030, Saudi Arabia could potentially double its GDP again, increase real Saudi household
income by about 60 percent and create as many as six million new Saudi jobs. The GDP
increase amounts to about $800 billion, the equivalent of adding Turkey’s economy today,
or three Finlands. Unemployment would decline to about 7 percent (Exhibit E4).

In this report we have projected outcomes for Saudi households. The size and nature of the foreign workforce in Saudi Arabia is highly changeable, and most of these non-Saudi workers do not permanently settle in the Kingdom. Projecting gains in their living standards and income
is therefore challenging and subject to specific policy implementation. However, foreigners
will benefit—as Saudis will—from changes that will make the entire workforce more
productive, thus raising wages and improving working conditions.

This transformation would wean Saudi Arabia off its heavy dependence on oil: under this
scenario, non-oil revenue could increase from 10 percent of total government revenue
to 70 percent. The change could also fundamentally alter the dominant role of the public
sector in society, with wages from private-sector employment rising from 19 percent of total
household income to 58 percent.

Achieving such growth would require an acceleration of productivity growth combined with
a continued high rate of investment. Together, these would drive a very robust expansion
of the non-oil private sector. We estimate the investment needs at about $4 trillion. This is
about three times the size of the investment made in the Saudi economy during the 2003–13
oil boom, which in itself was three times the investment of the previous decade. Much of it
would come from non-government sources including both Saudi and foreign investors.
While the non-oil private sector is relatively small in Saudi Arabia, it has potential to
drive much of the growth.

Already during the 2003–13 period, the non-oil private sector outperformed the economy as a whole, albeit starting from a low base. It grew at about 10 percent annually, much faster than the overall 6 percent GDP growth rate. Growth was broadly based, with consumption-based sectors such as transport, communications, retail and wholesale trade, and business services growing the fastest. The non-oil private sector’s productivity growth was also more rapid than the rest of the economy, with an average of 2.5 percent per year. Sectors such as manufacturing were among the brightest spots.

Between now and 2030, there are opportunities throughout the economy to supercharge
this non-oil growth. In this report, we highlight eight sectors that analysis suggests have
some of the biggest potential, and could contribute more than 60 percent of the overall
growth needed to double GDP by 2030. They are mining and metals, petrochemicals,
manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, tourism and hospitality, health care, finance,
and construction.


https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/Mc...I Saudi Arabia_Full report_December 2015.ashx

 

[Saif al-Arab]

MGI is publishing this report on Saudi Arabia at a time of change in the Kingdom. After a surge in prosperity over the past decade, the economy is at a transition point. We see a real opportunity for the Kingdom to inject new dynamism into the economy through a productivity- and investment-led transformation that could help ensure future growth, employment, and prosperity for all Saudis.
ƒ
An oil price boom from 2003 to 2013 fueled rising prosperity in Saudi Arabia, which became
the world’s 19th-largest economy. GDP doubled, household income rose by 75 percent, and
1.7 million jobs were created for Saudis, including for a growing number of Saudi women. The
government invested heavily in education, health, and infrastructure and built up reserves
amounting to almost 100 percent of GDP in 2014.
ƒ
The Kingdom can no longer grow based on oil revenue and public spending, in the face of
a changing global energy market and a demographic transition that will lead to a bulge in
the number of working-age Saudis by 2030. Current labor participation is 41 percent, and
productivity growth of 0.8 percent from 2003 to 2013 lagged behind that of many emerging
economies. Foreign workers on temporary contracts who are paid considerably less than Saudi nationals today constitute more than half the labor force.
ƒ
We have developed a model that integrates Saudi Arabia’s economic, labor market, and fiscal
perspectives. It shows that even if the Kingdom introduces reactive policy changes such as a
budget freeze or immigration curbs in the face of these challenging conditions, unemployment
will rise rapidly, household income will fall, and the fiscal position of the national government will deteriorate sharply.
ƒ
However, a productivity-led transformation of the economy could enable Saudi Arabia to again
double its GDP and create as many as six million new Saudi jobs by 2030. We estimate this
would require about $4 trillion in investment. Eight sectors—mining and metals, petrochemicals, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, tourism and hospitality, health care, finance, and construction—have the potential to generate more than 60 percent of this growth opportunity.
ƒ
To enable this transformation, Saudi Arabia will need to accelerate the shift from its current
government-led economic model to a more market-based approach. In the labor market,
greater workforce participation by Saudi men and women is essentia lto achieve higher
household income. The proportion and number of foreign workers may decline but they would
likely benefit from higher wages and better conditions. Faster productivity growth requires
better business regulation and more openness to competition, trade, and investment. Improved efficiency of spending and new revenue sources, possibly including taxes and higher domestic energy prices, can help ensure fiscal sustainability.
ƒ
All stakeholders, including the private sector, foreign investors, and households, will need to be
involved in this transformation. The state will have to embrace a new delivery philosophy while
businesses adapt to a more competitive environment and the individual Saudi citizen takes more personal accountability. The transition will be challenging, but the new era of economic growth and employment it could usher in would be more sustainable than the oil booms of the past.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
...

THE $4 TRILLION INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

These outcomes are not a foregone conclusion. There is another path. In the next 15 years
to 2030, Saudi Arabia could potentially double its GDP again, increase real Saudi household
income by about 60 percent and create as many as six million new Saudi jobs. The GDP
increase amounts to about $800 billion, the equivalent of adding Turkey’s economy today,
or three Finlands. Unemployment would decline to about 7 percent (Exhibit E4).

In this report we have projected outcomes for Saudi households. The size and nature of the foreign workforce in Saudi Arabia is highly changeable, and most of these non-Saudi workers do not permanently settle in the Kingdom. Projecting gains in their living standards and income
is therefore challenging and subject to specific policy implementation. However, foreigners
will benefit—as Saudis will—from changes that will make the entire workforce more
productive, thus raising wages and improving working conditions.

This transformation would wean Saudi Arabia off its heavy dependence on oil: under this
scenario, non-oil revenue could increase from 10 percent of total government revenue
to 70 percent. The change could also fundamentally alter the dominant role of the public
sector in society, with wages from private-sector employment rising from 19 percent of total
household income to 58 percent.

Achieving such growth would require an acceleration of productivity growth combined with
a continued high rate of investment. Together, these would drive a very robust expansion
of the non-oil private sector. We estimate the investment needs at about $4 trillion. This is
about three times the size of the investment made in the Saudi economy during the 2003–13
oil boom, which in itself was three times the investment of the previous decade. Much of it
would come from non-government sources including both Saudi and foreign investors.
While the non-oil private sector is relatively small in Saudi Arabia, it has potential to
drive much of the growth.

Already during the 2003–13 period, the non-oil private sector outperformed the economy as a whole, albeit starting from a low base. It grew at about 10 percent annually, much faster than the overall 6 percent GDP growth rate. Growth was broadly based, with consumption-based sectors such as transport, communications, retail and wholesale trade, and business services growing the fastest. The non-oil private sector’s productivity growth was also more rapid than the rest of the economy, with an average of 2.5 percent per year. Sectors such as manufacturing were among the brightest spots.

Between now and 2030, there are opportunities throughout the economy to supercharge
this non-oil growth. In this report, we highlight eight sectors that analysis suggests have
some of the biggest potential, and could contribute more than 60 percent of the overall
growth needed to double GDP by 2030. They are mining and metals, petrochemicals,
manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, tourism and hospitality, health care, finance,
and construction.


https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured Insights/Employment and Growth/Moving Saudi Arabias economy beyond oil/MGI Saudi Arabia_Full report_December 2015.ashx

Looks like an excellent report that showcases the huge potential of KSA for further economic improvement on numerous areas. Thanks for the share bro.

The current position is already quite good. A G-20 major economy member state, a high GDP per capita, a high HDI index, scoring well on the corruption index compared to the regional standards (top 50 in the world) with only UAE and Qatar doing better, good living and educational standards in general etc.

No doubt about the points raised in the article.

Basically it can be summed up by like this very superficially.

Less socialism and hand-outs and indirectly less "Mullahism" (the Ulama should not meddle in politics or as little as possible) in the political decision making process as they by default are bastions of reactionary conservatism as religion is written in stone.

Basically what the Saudi Vision 2030 is all about.

Anyway can't read the report currently.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Just news from this week alone to illustrate what is going on in KSA.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1022479597345165317

https://twitter.com/x/status/1028982522435256321

Impressive.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1029079489953898507

https://twitter.com/x/status/1029022260869390338

https://twitter.com/x/status/1028700338818371588

https://twitter.com/x/status/1028348875264933888

I like the current approach. KSA is advancing quickly but without making too much noise. Working with everyone from Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, Wester European countries, USA, Ukraine etc.

I am sure that there are several projects that are being worked on that we don't know much about. If the past is to go by at least.

The investments poured into those industries, sending 100.000's of students abroad to leading universities in the world, investing huge sums in domestic education, universities (best ranked in the Muslim world), the huge sums of money allocated for future investments etc. did not come out of nowhere or without a long-term plan and goals.

Also people should have in mind, that unlike on Arab forums and Arab social media, we are hardly any Arab users left on PDF and what we report on in terms of progress and projects is just a tiny percentage of what is going on. Not to say the nature of the system in KSA (a lot of secrecy) and the regional situation that almost forces this approach.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Saudi Arabia is already the scientific leader of the Arab world, but it is not standing still. Through investment in research and education — and a new focus on maximizing the commercial value of its academic prowess — the country is beating a path to reducing its reliance on oil.

Nature Index | Published: 27 September 2017

Leader of the pack
Nature volume 549, pages S62–S63 (28 September 2017) | Download Citation

This article has been updated

Saudi Arabia leads the way in scientific research in the Arab world, but its position at the top of the pile is reliant on relatively few institutions. By Richard Hodson, infographic by Mohamed Ashour. Data analysis by Aaron Ballagh and Alexander Scherrmann.

Arabian powerhouse

Saudi Arabia is ranked just outside the top 30 nations for high-quality research, 19 places higher than its closest competitor in the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates (a). It maintained its lead over its Arab neighbours in 2016, though Qatar jumped 9 places up the global rankings last year, making it the fastest climber at the top of Arabian research. Despite these gains on the global leaderboard, however, the gulf between Saudi Arabia and its Arab neighbours in terms of the country's contribution to high-quality research remains extremely large (b).

Image: Source: Nature Index

Subject strength

Chemistry is Saudi Arabia's forte, and the main driver of its rise up the Nature Index rankings since 2012. But the physical sciences, a distant second for the past two years, narrowed to gap in 2016. Despite AC remaining relatively unchanged, WFC increased in 2016. This shows that Saudi Arabian authors made a greater contribution to the physical science papers they published than in 2015. A similar change was also seen in chemistry and the life sciences last year.

Image: Source: Nature Index

Research spending

Saudi Arabia ranks 44th in the world for gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), based on the latest available data (2013). The United Arab Emirates invests a similar proportion of its GDP in research.

Image: Sources: UNESCO, Web of Science

In the money

A sharp increase in R&D funding in Saudi Arabia in 2010 was matched by an upswing in the quantity of Saudi research. The level of funding is, however, well below the OECD average of 2.4%.

Image: Sources: UNESCO, Web of Science

Investment areas

The natural sciences attract the most funding in Saudi Arabia, and make up the bulk of research publications. The quantity of research produced in engineering and in the health sciences is closer than spending on the two fields might suggest.

Image: Sources: UNESCO, Web of Science (2013)

Who's driving Saudi research?

Image: Source: Nature Index

The big six

Just six institutions account for 95% of Saudi Arabian research, according to WFC (2016).

Image: Source: Nature Index

There's more to research excellence than just quantity of papers. Larger institutions naturally produce more papers than smaller ones. Adjusting for the size advantage (based on an institution's total output of natural science articles in the Web of Science), government body KACST has the highest number of high-quality articles in Index-tracked journals. However, by WFC — which takes into account an institution's contribution to multi-authored papers — KAUST is the clear leader.

Image: Source: Nature Index, Web of Science

Image: Source: Nature Index, Web of Science

In 2016, KAUST was the principal source of high-quality research by WFC not just in Saudi Arabia, but the entire Arab world. Its researchers account for nearly half the region's WFC.

https://www.nature.com/articles/549S62a

Nature Index | Published: 27 September 2017

Drilling for excellence

• Richard Hodson

Nature volume 549, page S61 (28 September 2017) | Download Citation

By a considerable margin, Saudi Arabia is the scientific leader of the Arab world. It ranks just outside the world's top 30 nations for its contribution to high-quality research published in journals monitored by the Nature Index, 19 places higher than the closest Arab states — though even that belies the true scale of the lead it holds (see page S62).

The King Abdullah financial district in Riyadh is a new development in line with the kingdom's plans to change its economic structure. Image: Ali Al Mubarak/Arabianeye/Getty Images

This has not always been the case. An upsurge in funding for research and development came as recently as 2010, and the quantity of research produced within the country has followed a similarly steep trajectory. But the oil money that has supported this rise over the last decade can no longer be relied upon. The price per barrel has tumbled since 2014, leaving Saudi Arabia with a budget deficit of nearly US$100 billion in 2015.

The Saudi government is looking to its academic sector to supplement the economy and reduce reliance on oil. Universities are being encouraged to exploit commercial value in their research, with specific targets around patenting and start-up companies laid out in the country's science strategy. They do not, however, operate in a vacuum: the culture outside these institutions' walls must also change if the policy is to be successful (page S75).

Saudi leaders are also taking steps to prepare the human resources required in a scientifically-driven economy. Large numbers of Saudi students choose to study abroad, particularly in the United States. But the expensive, government-funded scholarship programme that enables this is vulnerable to the same falling oil revenues that gave it purpose in the first place. To survive, the scholarship programme must find ways to prove its value to the kingdom (page S64).

It will be these young people, with ideas and values that may challenge Saudi Arabia's entrenched conservatism, who must spearhead the country's science-powered economic transformation. At present, the country's young graduates are not fulfilling their potential — unemployment amongst this group is high, particularly for female graduates. The Nature Index sought out some of the women who have thrived in their science careers in the kingdom (page S70). Saudi Arabia is a country challenging itself to change from the top-down and the bottom-up all at once, and its neighbours and the wider international community will be following its future closely.

https://www.nature.com/articles/549S61a

Nature Index | Published: 27 April 2016

Oiling the wheels on a road to success

• Pakinam Amer

Nature volume 532, pages S13–S15 (28 April 2016) | Download Citation

With the benefit of a sustainable plan and the funds to back it, Saudi Arabia is aiming high.

Saudi Arabia's scientific development may be in its infancy, but the oil-rich Kingdom is making strides in terms of research investment and publication — with a clear ambition to one day join those in the highest echelons.

KAUST students embark on a new school year with a commencement ceremony. The relatively new university has quickly made an impact on the Nature Index. Image: KAUST

In 2012, Saudi Arabia had a weighted fractional count (WFC) of 52.84 in the index, sitting behind Turkey, Iran, Mexico, Chile and South Africa. In four years it rose 86.8% to reach a WFC of 98.67, leapfrogging all these countries to compete with Chile and Argentina globally. Saudi Arabia ranks at number 31 in the world in terms of WFC — up from 39 in 2012.

The country has risen even higher in specific subject areas. In chemistry, for example, it has surpassed countries with a strong scientific impact like Finland and Ireland, with its WFC rising to 66.54, achieving almost a three-fold increase from its position in 2012.

Institutionally, the country's leading science hub King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) made an impressive leap in its WFC between 2012 and 2015, carving a place for itself to compete with American and European research powerhouses.

In just four years, its WFC has risen to become higher than those of prestigious institutions including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), the University of Georgia, United States, and Dresden University of Technology, Germany, to name a few. The output of all of these institutions dwarfed KAUST's in 2012, but KAUST's impressive trajectory since then has seen its WFC shoot to 72 in 2015, overtaking these heavy-hitters.

The country's science development ambitions have been backed by action. Since 2008, the country has embarked on a multi-tiered strategy that will see the Kingdom overhaul its science infrastructure, build high-spec labs, secure grants for research in priority areas in applied science, and link science to industries that drive the economy.

The strategy, broken into four stages to be implemented by 2030, aims to eventually “see Saudi Arabia become a leader in Asia and give it an economic power based on science,” says Abdulaziz Al-Swailem, vice president of scientific research support at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

The Saudi Human Genome Project will sequence 100,000 human genomes to conduct biomedical research in the Saudi population. Image: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's march to the top Saudi Arabia's efforts to boost its scientific research have been paying off, with its output in the Nature Index (WFC) rising steadily over the years. The two graphs below highlight Saudi Arabia's rise compared to other nations, both overall and for chemistry.

Overall output In 2012 Saudi Arabia's overall output in the index was below all the countries shown, but continuous efforts have seen the Kingdom's WFC rise to overtake them all in 2015.

Chemistry More marked than its overall rise, Saudi Arabia has made great strides in chemistry. After accelerated growth, which saw the Kingdom's chemistry WFC triple since 2012, it has outshone many larger players in the field in 2015.

The Kingdom's science investments focus on applied research that feeds directly into the country's industrial interests, particularly the oil and energy sector. But even in its strong subjects, chemistry and the physical sciences, Saudi Arabia's WFC remains modest compared to big players in Asia like China, Japan and South Korea.

“Saudi Arabia could look to some successful emerging economies for inspiration.”

To truly swim comfortably with these bigger fish, Saudi Arabia may benefit from looking at successful emerging economies in Asia.

One inspiration could be India. In addition to multi-disciplinary scientific and technical advancements that have improved its output in the index from 736.5 to 901.4 in the past four years, the subcontinental giant has joined the exclusive club of countries that have launched successful space missions.

Like Saudi Arabia, India's leading research institutes focus on chemistry, and their total output currently outstrips their Saudi Arabian counterparts by almost a factor of seven (the latter surpassing 472 in 2015, while the former is 66.5).

India's prowess in chemistry is something that Saudi Arabia can aspire to, considering that working conditions for researchers in the Kingdom are more conducive.

India's science ecosystem is far from perfect. Research funding cannot keep up with inflation and a general slowdown in the country's economy. In addition, commentators from the research community say the funding processes are lengthy, bureaucratic, and provide little feedback when applications for grants are turned down. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's healthy stream of oil revenue provides assured funding for the country's state-of-the-art research facilities.

While India has slightly increased spending and dedicated US$1.19 billion for the next fiscal year (2016–2017) for science, it has around 700 universities and 200,000 full-time researchers drawing on the same funding pot. By contrast, Saudi Arabia has pledged an education and training budget of US$50.9 billion for next year, which includes higher education and scientific research. With a total population of just 30 million, it has a much lower number of full-time researchers competing for the available resources.

Another impressive trajectory that Saudi Arabia might look to emulate is that of Singapore, which has a smaller population as well and has managed to climb high in the index. Like the Kingdom, Singapore also has a focus on chemistry research, and it has put together a similar top-down national science strategy for research institutes across the country. Both countries have strong collaborations with top universities around the world and are welcoming of foreign researchers in their efforts to drive innovation.

Mansour Alghamdi, director of the general directorate of scientific awareness and publishing at KACST, is optimistic that Saudi Arabia can bridge the large gap that currently exists in the volume of scientific output between it and such countries as India and Singapore.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a clear plan to do so and it has the resources,” he says.

Future growth

An internationally rising star This graph shows KAUST's rise compared to a selection of other institutions*. *Institutions shown are those that were furthest above KAUST in 2012, have experienced overall growth in WFC by 2015 and have been overtaken by KAUST in 2015. For clarity, only 2012 and 2015 data points are shown.

In 2012, Saudi's ranking in research output, with a WFC of 52.8, meant it was comparable with countries like South Africa, Turkey and Iran, all hovering around the 60–70 mark. Its WFC stood way below countries like Mexico, Hungary, Chile, Greece and Argentina.

Saudi Arabian researchers benefit from cutting-edge labs and generous funding that has boosted the country's R&D. Image: Top: KACST; Bottom: KAUST

Four years later, the country's research outlook is very different and it is surpassing countries like Argentina, Mexico and Hungary in the index, and levelling the playing field with Chile. Chemistry research led the country's rapid rise to surpass these countries, but its life sciences and physical sciences WFCs of 8.5 and 31.5 still lag behind.

However, the Kingdom's AC has been steadily growing in these two fields over the past four years, hinting at the ever-increasing significance of international collaborations. It seems that Saudi Arabian researchers are casting their nets ever wider and are participating in publishing more articles, to the detriment of the WFC accredited for these articles.

Though international collaboration has proved fruitful, Saudi Arabia must keep a focus on nurturing home-grown talent, says Nasser Al-Aqeeli, dean of research at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), based in Dhahran's 'techno valley' in the eastern region of the Kingdom. In the next five years, he says, the country will focus on a programme for national capacity building.

A good first step was the Saudi government's decision to create a large scholarship programme in 2005, arguably the largest in the world, which has seen more than 200,000 young Saudi Arabians studying abroad. This makes Saudi Arabian students in the United States the fourth largest bloc of expatriate students, following those of China, India and South Korea. The government hopes these students will come back and drive a scientific culture in the country.

“Its rise up the ranks depends on a 'self-correcting mechanism' of a slow start to sustainable growth.”

Saudi Arabia is also looking to increase its applied research focus, which is an integral part of the current phase of its national science strategy, while securing good funding for basic research as well. Al-Aqeeli says that Saudi's journey involves what he termed a “self-correcting mechanism” where the country is having a slow start in high-impact research, but a more sustainable one. An eventual future move towards basic research might help Saudi Arabia's research capacity to mature.

https://www.nature.com/articles/532S13a

And just last month we reached top 29. Meaning we are among the 15% best performing nations out of almost 200. Great stuff and we are just at the early beginning relatively speaking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1028348875264933888

@The SC