Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: Riyadh has ranked among the world’s top 100 innovation clusters in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII), reflecting the Saudi capital’s growing research and innovation capabilities.
As cited in the report, Riyadh city ranked 92nd globally, making it the only Gulf city included in the 2026 ranking. Its position was supported by strong performance across several innovation and research indicators, including 419 venture capital deals in innovation-related fields and 162 international patent applications.
The report highlighted several institutions contributing to Riyadh’s research and innovation ecosystem. King Saud University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and Prince Sultan University were identified among the city’s leading research institutions.
In innovation, Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) were cited as key contributors to Riyadh’s position.
The ranking comes as Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its research, development and innovation ecosystem through increased support for researchers and innovators, incentives for sector growth, and initiatives aimed at improving the Kingdom’s global competitiveness in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
