The Global Innovation Index ranked Riyadh among the top 100 innovation hubs worldwide for 2026, according to a number of innovation and research indicators in which the city has made remarkable progress in line with the support and empowerment that the research, development and innovation sector enjoys.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Riyadh ranked (92) globally, making it the only Gulf city in the ranking. The report included the most prominent figures that enabled it to achieve an advanced ranking, including concluding 419 venture capital deals in the field of innovation, and submitting 162 international applications for patents.
The report issued by the Global Innovation Index pointed to the most prominent entities that contributed to the capital achieving an advanced position in the fields of research and innovation. In the field of research, King Saud University, Princess Noura University and Prince Sultan University come, while in the field of innovation, SABIC and Aramco come.
Riyadh’s ranking among the top 100 global innovation hubs comes in the context of the concerted efforts of the research and innovation system at the Kingdom level, and its integration to provide support and empowerment to researchers and innovators, and to provide incentives that contribute to the growth of the sector and enhance its competitiveness at the international level, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Riyadh is among the top 100 innovation hubs worldwide.
The city came in at number 92 globally as the only Gulf cluster on the list, supported by venture capital deals and patents.
