Riyadh Enters Top 100 Global Innovation Clusters

Riyadh has entered the ranking of the world’s top 100 innovation clusters for the first time, placing 92nd in the 2026 Global Innovation Index and standing out as the only Gulf city on the list. The cluster chapter was released in early September 2026, ahead of the full index report due later in the month.

The listing marks Saudi Arabia’s first-ever appearance among the top 100 global innovation clusters, with Riyadh identified as the Kingdom’s leading cluster. It also adds Saudi Arabia to the group of economies that have at least one cluster in the global top 100.

Riyadh’s ranking is built on strong innovation activity, including 419 venture capital deals in innovation-related fields and 162 international patent applications filed from the city. Key research contributors include King Saud University, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, and Prince Sultan University, while major corporate output came from SABIC and Aramco — with SABIC Global Technologies named among the leading patent applicants from the cluster.

Why it matters

Riyadh’s debut in the top 100 comes as two U.S. clusters, Salt Lake City and Ann Arbor, dropped out of the list, underlining the city’s rising global standing in research and technology. For residents and businesses, the recognition reflects a growing ecosystem of universities, patents, and startup funding that continues to draw talent and investment to the capital in line with the Kingdom’s wider development goals.

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