RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has increased its ranking in the latest Global Innovation Index to 46 out of 139 countries as the Kingdom deepens its push to become a regional hub for research and technology.
The rise of one place compared to the previous year’s list from the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization continues Saudi Arabia’s upward trend in recent years, moving from 66th in 2021, to 51, then 48, and 47.
The annual ranking placed Saudi Arabia 40th among 51 high-income economies, citing progress in market sophistication, policy stability, and stronger collaboration between universities and industry.
The report stated that innovation performance in the Middle East is “gaining ground,” with the UAE advancing to 30th place and Qatar ranked 48th.
It added: “Saudi Arabia and Qatar also benefit from high input scores — ranking 31st and 34th, respectively — driven by strengths in areas such as market sophistication, policy stability, and university–industry collaboration.”
The report showed Saudi Arabia ranked 5th for creating a business-friendly environment and 12th in policy stability for doing business. In human capital and research, the Kingdom placed 35th, while it secured 36th in the infrastructure pillar.
In April, a report from the US Chamber of Commerce said Saudi Arabia made significant progress in the 2025 Global Intellectual Property Index, with its score rising 17.5 percent, making it one of the fastest-improving economies among the 55 assessed.
In June, Startup Genome, in collaboration with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, reported that Riyadh climbed 60 places in three years to reach 23rd in its list of the top 100 emerging ecosystems.
According to the WIPO report, Qatar stands out as a global hub for international talent, ranking first in tertiary inbound mobility, coupled with strong performance in information and communication technology adoption.
Among Middle East and North Africa countries, Morocco ranked 57th, followed by Bahrain at 62nd, Jordan at 65th, and Kuwait at 73rd.
Globally, Switzerland led the index, followed by Sweden in second place and the US in third.
The rest of the top 10 were South Korea, Singapore, and the UK, as well as Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and China.
“GII 2025 maps the contours of innovation across the world, showing us that the fastest-advancing economies in the GII are those that view innovation as a fundamental engine of resilience, growth and competitiveness,” said Daren Tang, director general of World Intellectual Property Organization.
He added: “This year’s GII reveals both encouraging progress as well as challenges that still need to be addressed for countries to fully harness their innovation potential.”
