Muhammad Suleiman Al-Ankari
The superiority achieved by developed countries is one of the most important reasons for the sustainable increase in spending on research and innovation, resulting in the creation of solutions and millions of job opportunities in various sectors and a tremendous increase in the amount of investments and assets. those countries. The size of its economy and its needs, however, were announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Research, Development and Innovation, for the next two decades. The national aspirations and priorities for research, development and innovation in Saudi Arabia represent a major transformation and transition phase in this important sector. And important, because this identification of priorities and aspirations will direct efforts towards the key goals that the Kingdom will achieve through scientific research, increasing the competitiveness of the economy and sustainable development in domestic product, and qualified national human cadres in various scientific disciplines. wishes to profit from.
Looking at the percentage of expenditure on scientific research in developed countries, most of them average above 2 percent of their total output volume. Rather, South Korea and Japan exceeded 3.5 percent, while in the Kingdom, the percentage is around 0.8 percent of total production, which means that the need to increase this percentage to meet the requirements would be in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which Focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy, which is one of the largest in the region. Through the expansion and development of several economic sectors in which we have a high comparative advantage. The Crown Prince said: “We have embraced ambitious aspirations for the research, development and innovation sector. The Kingdom will become one of the pioneers of innovation in the world, and annual spending on this sector will reach 2.5% of GDP in 2040 , so that the sector can contribute to the growth and diversification of the national economy by adding 60 billion Saudi riyals to GDP and creating thousands of jobs in 2040. Quality in science, technology and innovation is of high value, God willing.”
Reaching this percentage, which would be practically three times the current levels, is a huge leap forward and in line with the global rates of developed countries, but given the size of GDP today and what it will be in 2040, where it is expected. is to double at least once compared to the current GDP, which means that the percentage of spending on scientific research will be no less than five times that of today’s figures, a very high growth rate that will reflect positively on the national economy and increase the profits of the national cadres in which the state has invested in education, scholarships and qualifications.
In terms of priorities, they are based on 4 main priorities: the first is human health, which is of great importance, because of the need to localize the pharmaceutical industries, to produce serums and vaccines, and to reduce chronic rates. solution should be developed. and non-communicable diseases. The corona pandemic made the whole world aware of the urgent need to increase spending on research in the field of health, and with it initially accompanied by a huge demand for medical supplies and equipment, he stressed upon all countries from within their economies. The need to rely on itself to meet most of its needs, and since the state has the infrastructure, advanced health care and qualified cadre, has the potential to achieve results and basic objectives for the advancement of health at the local level, And the region’s reliance on local product of drugs and equipment can be achieved with the general tendency to advance the medical industry and with the assistance provided by regulations and legislation, and it will enter the stage of international competition for this sector. represents an opportunity to Corona pandemic, as well as the rapid spread of modern diseases, and the second priority is the sustainability of the environment and needs Huh. Today’s world is facing a global food crisis and there is an urgent need to increase the cultivated areas. World. The Kingdom also has a tendency to develop environmentally friendly technologies to conserve and desalinate water, as it is one of the world’s largest desalinated water producers in addition to carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies, and this trend is confirmed. The circular carbon economy initiative launched during the presidency of the G-20 summit in 2020, which was approved by the member states of the grouping, in addition to sustainable technologies for the generation of low-cost electricity, is the third priority Revolve around its leadership in energy and industry and its continued leadership in energy markets to become a global industrial power through innovative technologies for the production of alternative energy such as green hydrogen, solar power and wind power, and the sustainability of oil demand . Apart from the technologically advanced and high value, development of the mining sector, which is a promising third pillar of the national economy.
As a fourth priority, it concerns future economics to foster innovation in digital technologies in priority areas, develop the future of urban living, and build smart, human-friendly and carbon-free cities. Can go Creation of a global position for the Kingdom in the depths of the ocean and in space. Today’s world is moving very rapidly towards digital economy, artificial intelligence and modern technologies like metaverse and others, and countries must reserve a place for their modern economy if they want to achieve their goals with competition.
The clarity of priorities and aspirations of scientific research for the state directs the resources allocated to this sector to specific areas of highest priority and maximizes the benefits of the results achieved. It also complements state directives in developing this trend. The education sector in general and the directives of the new scholarship program which have set a path for international universities to send national cadres that qualify them to become researchers. Employing the existing cadre specialized in scientific fields with high qualifications, as well as those who will be rehabilitated in the future, in research and innovation, with an increase of total production and localization of technologies and their exports, rather than importing them in the future, reputed This will be reflected in attracting international researchers and attracting investment in various economic sectors. Without scientific research and extension, no country would be able to achieve global competitiveness, diversify its sources of income and find solutions to economic and social challenges and needs in various sectors.