Table Of ContentResearch, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship in
Saudi Arabia
This book provides valuable insights into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
through a comprehensive examination of Vision 2030, an ambitious economic
plan by the KSA to reinvent and diversify its economy from a heavy dependence
on hydrocarbon to knowledge-based resources.
Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 discusses
how this initiative will assist the government in achieving its envisioned goals
by creating a culture of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. It studies
the current state of the field as well as new policies and reforms in Saudi
Arabia which encompass education systems, ICT infrastructure and a vibrant
innovation landscape that includes academia, the public and private sectors and
civil society. The authors present a number of real-life case studies as a model
of inspiration for cross-sector development. The book provides a source of
inspiration for other nations in studying the KSA’s determined and ambitious
plans as a country in a transitioning journey from a natural resources–based
economy towards a knowledge-based country with considerable diversification
in all sectors.
This book is a useful reference for students, researchers and policy and
decision-makers in understanding Saudi innovation and the economic
diversification ecosystem.
Muhammad Khurram Khan is currently working as Professor of
Cybersecurity at the Center of Excellence in Information Assurance (CoEIA),
King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is founder and CEO of
the Global Foundation for Cyber Studies and Research, an independent, non
profit and non-partisan cybersecurity think-tank registered in Washington D.C.
which explores and addresses global cyberspace challenges from the intersecting
dimensions of policy and technology.
Muhammad Babar Khan received his masters in media sciences from Iqra
University, Pakistan, in 2015. He is working for a renowned think tank, Global
Foundation for Cyber Studies and Research, USA, as a research analyst and
media advisor and is currently pursuing another masters in international
relations and a PhD in media studies.
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For more information about this series, please visit www.routledge.com/Rout
ledge-Studies-in-Innovation-Organizations-and-Technology/book-series/
RIOT
Research, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship in
Saudi Arabia
Vision 2030
Edited by
Muhammad Khurram Khan
and Muhammad Babar Khan
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 selection and editorial matter, Muhammad Khurram Khan and
Muhammad Babar Khan; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Muhammad Khurram Khan and Muhammad Babar Khan to
be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for
their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
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any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Disclaimer: Since this is an edited book, therefore, contents presented in all
respective chapters are the sole responsibility of the contributing authors.
Editors of this book don’t represent their social, national and political views
in the chapters authored by contributing authors.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-138-48853-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-04002-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
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Contents
List of figures vii
List of tables ix
Biographies of editors x
List of contributors xii
Preface xiii
1 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the land of opportunities 1
MUHAMMAD BABAR KHAN, IRFAN HAMEED AND KAMRAN KHAN
2 Economic development vision of the Gulf
Cooperation Council 17
MUHAMMAD BABAR KHAN, SADIA IQBAL AND
IRFAN HAMEED
3 Saudi entrepreneurship case studies and analysis 54
MUHAMMAD BABAR KHAN AND SADIA IQBAL
4 Knowledge-based economy in Saudi Arabia and
Vision 2030: the journey so far 84
MOHAMMAD NURUNNABI
5 Research and development in Saudi Arabia 104
IBRAHIM BABELLI
6 Economic transformation through incubation and
entrepreneurship (in light of Vision 2030) 119
MUHAMMAD BABAR KHAN, SADIA IQBAL AND IRFAN HAMEED
vi Contents
7 Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 146
MUHAMMAD BABAR KHAN AND SADIA IQBAL
Conclusion 167
Index 176
Figures
1.1 Revenue from oil exports/resources 10
1.2 Revenue from non-oil resources 12
2.1 GCI rank of oil exporters in the Middle East, 2016–2017
edition 37
2.2 Oil production 38
2.3 Employment of GCC nationals 39
2.4 GCC sustainable energy plans 41
2.5 Institutions involved in policy making and planning in the
GCC energy sectors 42
2.6 Installed renewable energy capacity in the GCC countries ,
as of 2014 42
2.7 Renewable energy projects in the GCC 43
2.8 GCC renewable energy investments from 2006 to 2015
(millions USD) 44
2.9 Breakdown of direct jobs in the renewable energy sector
in the region by country in 2030 (%) 45
2.10 National economic strategies of the GCC countries 46
2.11 Adult literacy rate among women in the GCC vis-à-vis
developed and emerging countries 47
2.12 Women’s capability is underutilized in the GCC region 48
2.13 Percentage of female graduates outnumbers male graduates
in the GCC 48
2.14 Female labor force in the GCC, 2001–2010 49
2.15 Females as legislators and technical workers (as % of
the total) 50
2.16 Assets under management (AUM) controlled by women
worldwide 50
3.1 SME contribution to economies 56
3.2 Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia (2000–2009) 57
3.3 Shares of Saudi unemployment in 2009 58
3.4 SIDF project financing categories 60
4.1 Overall score of the GCCs in Global Innovation Index
(GII) 2016 90
viii Figures
4.2 Number of patents in Saudi Arabia from 1963 to 2015 90
4.3 Research overview in Saudi Arabia (1996–2016) 96
4.4 Research by subject area in Saudi Arabia (1996–2016) 97
4.5 Operating model, National Transformation Program 100
4.6 KACST’s strategic objectives in the National Transformation
Program 2020 101
5.1 World research and development expenditure (% of GDP) 108
5.2 OECD countries’ gross domestic spending on R&D 109
5.3 Saudi Arabia’s research and development expenditure
(% of GDP) 109
6.1 Hypothesized model 132
6.2 Interaction effect (Hypothesis H3a) 139
6.3 Interaction effect (Hypothesis H3b) 140
7.1 The National Transformation Program 2020 155
Tables
1.1 Economic outlook of the Kingdom for the last 5 years) 9
3.1 Doing business ranking indicators of Saudi Arabia
(2011–2012) 59
4.1 Summary of core policies on higher education 85
4.2 Summary of key policies on science, technology and
innovation 87
4.3 Notable achievements and underlying policy initiatives
in 2013 88
4.4 Scimago Journal & Country Rank (SJR) 1996–2016
in the Middle East 91
4.5a Country rank, global rank and Saudi universities
(2013–2016) 92
4.5b Country rank, global rank and Saudi universities
(2009–2012) 93
4.6 Country rank, global rank and Saudi research institutes/
centers (2009–2016) 94
6.1 Model summary (testing Hypotheses 1a to 1c) 133
6.2 Model (testing Hypotheses 1a to 1c) 134
6.3 Indirect effect of X on Y (testing Hypotheses 1a to 1c) 134
6.4 Model summary (testing Hypotheses 2a to 2c) 135
6.5 Model (testing Hypotheses 2a to 2c) 136
6.6 Indirect effect of X on Y (testing Hypotheses 2a to 2c) 136
6.7 Model summary (testing Hypotheses H3a and H3b) 137
6.8 Model (testing Hypotheses H3a and H3b) 138
6.9 Conditional effect of X on Y (testing Hypotheses H3a
and H3b) 138
