R&D labs in Saudi Arabia
The 311 Institute tracks 17 R&D labs in Saudi Arabia: 10 government, 3 corporate, 3 research institutes and 1 university. Most are in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran, and the leading organisations include Saudi Aramco, Islamic Research and Training Institute and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center. Their main focus areas are public health, environmental and occupational health, economics and econometrics, infectious diseases and genetics.
Part of the 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory. Compiled by Matthew Griffin. Last updated .
All 17 labs
| Lab and organisation | Location | Type and sector | Focus | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SABIC Technology and Innovation CenterSABIC | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Corporate Chemicals and materials | Materials, Polymers | |
| Aramco EXPEC Advanced Research CenterSaudi Aramco | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | Corporate Energy and resources | Upstream research | 1983 |
| EXPEC Advanced Research CenterSaudi Aramco | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | Corporate Energy and resources | Energy transition, Carbon capture | |
| National Center for Mental Health PromotionMinistry of Health | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Social sciences and humanities | Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology | 2019 |
| National Center for MeteorologyNational Center for Meteorology | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Government Environment and climate | Global and Planetary Change, Atmospheric Science, Environmental Engineering | |
| National Center for Sustainable Agriculture Research and DevelopmentNational Center for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Agriculture and food | Plant Science, Soil Science | 2019 |
| National Center for WildlifeNational Center for Wildlife | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Environment and climate | Ecology, Oceanography, Genetics | 2019 |
| Research and Innovation InstituteResearch and Innovation Institute | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Epidemiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine | |
| King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)Saudi Arabia government | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Basic science | Multidisciplinary | 1977 |
| Saudi Center for Disease Prevention and ControlSaudi Center for Disease Prevention and Control | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Infectious Diseases, Molecular Medicine, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health | 2012 |
| Saudi Center for Organ TransplantationSaudi Center for Organ Transplantation | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Surgery, Nephrology | 2000 |
| Center for Health Research StudiesSaudi Health Council | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Social sciences and humanities | Clinical Psychology, Sociology and Political Science, Molecular Medicine | 2012 |
| Saudi National Institute of HealthSaudi National Institute of Health | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty, General Health Professions | 2020 |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Universities in Saudi Arabia | Thuwal, Saudi Arabia | University Multidisciplinary research | Energy, Water, AI | 2009 |
| Islamic Research and Training InstituteIslamic Research and Training Institute | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | Research institute Public policy and analysis | Accounting, Finance, Economics and Econometrics | 1981 |
| King Abdullah International Medical Research CenterKing Abdullah International Medical Research Center | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Infectious Diseases, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Genetics | |
| King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research CenterKing Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Research institute Energy and resources | Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Economics and Econometrics, General Energy | 2013 |
Organisations with labs in Saudi Arabia
Other countries in Middle East
- Algeria
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Morocco
- Oman
- Palestine
- Qatar
- Syria
- Tunisia
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
Questions and answers
How many R&D labs are there in Saudi Arabia?
The 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory lists 17 active R&D labs in Saudi Arabia as of October 2026: 10 government, 3 corporate, 3 research institutes and 1 university.
Which organisations run the most R&D labs in Saudi Arabia?
In this directory the organisations with the most labs in Saudi Arabia are Saudi Aramco, Islamic Research and Training Institute and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center.
Where are R&D labs concentrated in Saudi Arabia?
They cluster around Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran.
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