Riyadh, February 13, 2025 – In a bold move to propel Saudi Arabia into the global forefront of research and innovation, the Research Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA) launched a series of pioneering initiatives aimed at driving the Kingdom’s technological and economic transformation. These initiatives were unveiled during the "Innovation in Future Economies" event, held in conjunction with the highly anticipated LEAP25 conference in Riyadh, a key platform for technological advancements and economic strategy.
RDIA outlined ambitious national missions, focusing on the priorities of future economies. These missions seek to unite research and innovation efforts across various sectors to shape a prosperous economic future for the Kingdom. Among the landmark initiatives presented was the development of five knowledge cities across Saudi Arabia by 2040, designed to go beyond the concept of smart cities. These cities will foster cutting-edge research and technological solutions, positioning the Kingdom as a global leader in knowledge-based economies.
Another visionary goal unveiled by RDIA was the creation of a scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2045, which aims to revolutionize industries ranging from computing to healthcare. Furthermore, the Kingdom aims to develop a general artificial intelligence (AI) that is aligned with human values, reliable, and beneficial to society by 2050. These ambitious goals reflect the Kingdom’s forward-thinking approach to technological advancement and its commitment to making substantial contributions to the global knowledge economy.
In tandem with these initiatives, RDIA introduced a national innovation roadmap aligned with the future economies' priorities. This strategic roadmap focuses on three critical areas: AI and digital technologies, cognitive urban life, and new physical frontiers. The roadmap is designed to unify the Kingdom’s national efforts in research and innovation, enabling Saudi Arabia to achieve global leadership in emerging technological trends such as AI, robotics, immersive technologies, and quantum computing. It also aims to tackle significant challenges across vital sectors, thereby boosting the Kingdom’s productivity and economic resilience.
A key highlight of the event was the announcement of two groundbreaking national alliances. The first focused on the development and manufacturing of Saudi Arabia’s first autonomous logistics vehicle. This collaboration, which involves 14 government, academic, and private-sector entities, is part of the Kingdom’s broader initiative to attract global emerging companies, particularly in the rapidly growing autonomous vehicle and robotics markets. The second alliance, the national quantum computing alliance, aims to harness the potential of quantum computing to drive forward Saudi Arabia’s research ecosystem and find innovative solutions to complex, global challenges.
In a move to further cement Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in healthcare innovation, RDIA announced the establishment of the first AI and data analytics center of excellence in the private sector. In collaboration with Alfaqih Group, this center, which comes with a SAR100 million investment, will focus on healthcare research and development. The center will enhance the Kingdom’s standing as a hub for AI-driven healthcare solutions, facilitating partnerships between academic institutions and the industrial sector, and accelerating progress in medical research.
The event also showcased Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the semiconductor industry with the announcement of the National Semiconductor Hub, a project designed to attract 10 global semiconductor companies to establish operations in the Kingdom. In collaboration with the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), the companies will focus on designing electronic chips in Saudi Arabia, with the establishment of a chip design center and an electronic system manufacturing and assembly line for automotive electronics. In partnership with UltraSense Systems, the project also aims to develop electronic chips for security applications for both domestic and global markets. RCM Company will play a pivotal role in this development by assisting in the creation of chips tailored to security needs.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to the research and innovation landscape, RDIA launched the “Research Excellence Award in Future Economies,” which was presented to a distinguished group of scholars and experts in the field. The recipients included Professors Carlos Duarte, Mohamed-Slim Alouini, Muhammad Ghulam, Tareq Al-Naffouri, Bernard Ghanem, Abdullah Abu Surrah, Osman Bakr, Saleh Alshebili, Obaid Al-Saqqaf, Ahmed Al-Qarni, Donal Bradley, and Khalid Al-Mashouq, whose work is advancing technological and economic innovation within the Kingdom.
Additionally, RDIA unveiled the “Emerging Technologies in Future Economies Report,” a comprehensive document that explores the role of technological advancement in shaping future strategies. This report delves into innovative sectors that are poised to transform human life and presents an economic vision aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. It emphasizes the critical importance of research, development, and innovation in driving forward the Kingdom’s socio-economic objectives.
One of the report’s key highlights was a detailed exploration of the RISC-V open architecture, which has the potential to revolutionize processor development. RISC-V allows developers to build cost-effective, energy-efficient processors tailored to diverse applications across vital sectors. The report underlined the immense potential of this technology to support the Kingdom’s ambitions in various high-tech industries, positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in the development of next-generation technologies.
Through these initiatives, RDIA is not only advancing Saudi Arabia’s innovation ecosystem but is also reinforcing the Kingdom’s commitment to positioning itself as a global leader in the technologies of the future, fully aligned with the goals of Vision 2030. These efforts reflect Saudi Arabia's ambition to drive sustainable economic growth, enhance productivity, and ensure a prosperous future for its citizens.