JEDDAH: In line with the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision, the number of patents owned by Saudis is increasing, as is the number of inventors in the Kingdom these days. However, many key obstacles continue to obstruct the pathway to success among Saudi producers. According to the Saudi Patent Office at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the number of patents in the Kingdom as of 2015 was 3,785, while the target number of patents to be reached by 2020 is 5,000.

The vice president of the Saudi Inventors Association, Ahmad Almuhandis, attributed the increase in patent registration outside the country to a number of factors including the ease of regulations in addition to technical, legal and material aid that overseas firms receive.