Regulations for International Scientific Cooperation in Saudi Arabia 2025: Conditions and Objectives
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as a global center for innovation, the Research, Development and Innovation Development Authority launched a comprehensive guide to regulating international scientific cooperation for researchers for the year 2025. This guide sets out a precise governance framework that directly links research partnerships to the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, with a focus on the qualitative quality of scientific outputs rather than quantity.
Context of the shift towards a knowledge economy
This move comes within the context of a historic transformation the Kingdom is undergoing to shift from a resource-based economy to one driven by knowledge and innovation. The Authority, established to unify national efforts, is working to realize the leadership's aspirations for the Kingdom to become a global leader in innovation. This guide is a practical implementation of the four national priorities announced by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince: human health, environmental sustainability and basic needs, leadership in energy and industry, and the economy of the future.
Selective conditions: Elite only
The guidelines set unprecedented standards to ensure the quality of international partners, requiring Saudi researchers and national institutions to limit their collaboration to researchers affiliated with academic institutions and research centers ranked among the top 200 universities globally according to prestigious rankings such as QS or Times Higher Education, or those included in the top tier of the Nature Index. This requirement aims to guarantee the transfer of knowledge from its most advanced and influential sources.
Scientific integrity is a red line
To safeguard the Kingdom's academic reputation, the Authority categorically prohibited any collaboration with international researchers who have a negative "scientific track record," such as having retracted papers within the three years preceding the collaboration, or who have been found to have committed violations related to scientific integrity. The guidelines emphasized that the international partner must be a recognized expert with a distinguished record of publishing in high-quality (Q1/Q2) journals, excluding institutions with low rankings or weak governance.
Digital sovereignty and intellectual property protection
The guide did not overlook security and sovereignty aspects, with controls focusing heavily on "digital sovereignty." It mandated that data be classified, stored, and protected in accordance with the regulations of the National Cybersecurity Authority and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). It also emphasized the necessity of registering innovations locally with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property before any international registration, to guarantee national rights to intellectual property.
Expected economic impact
Through these strict regulations, the Kingdom seeks to maximize the return on spending on research and development, which it aims to raise to 2.5% of GDP by 2040. This regulation is expected to contribute to raising the Kingdom's ranking in the Global Innovation Index to be among the top ten countries, in addition to localizing advanced technologies and commercializing innovations, which will enhance the diversification of national income sources and create quality job opportunities for Saudi talent.
