RIYADH: Support provided by Saudi authorities for scientific research, innovation and university teaching have been credited for recent achievements by innovators in the Kingdom.
Official figures show that 8,029 patent applications were submitted in the country in 2024, an increase of 13.3 percent on the previous year. In addition, 31,834 trademarks and 1,578 industrial designs were registered, and 4,355 patents were published.
Investment in research and development in Saudi Arabia increased to SR22.6 billion ($6 billion) in 2023, a 17.4 percent increase compared with 2022.
Recent examples of Saudi innovators honored with awards for research and innovation at international events included ophthalmologist Dr. Saad Al-Anzi, who won the grand prize at the Geneva International Exhibition in April this year for inventing a cost-effective surgical tool for cataract operations, while six other Saudi innovators received global awards at the event and 134 received global medals.
And 39 students from King Abdulaziz University received a global award at the IENA Expo for ideas, inventions and new products in Germany last October.
