Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy, support local content production and develop innovative opportunities for the future. This required the active engagement and collaboration of public and private sector leaders who will drive new market creation that will transform the Saudi Arabian economy into its 2030 vision.

Led by H.E. Dr. Munir Eldesouki, President of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the Saudi Arabia Markets of Tomorrow Accelerator was developed in collaboration with Dr. Andreas C. Cangellaris, Founding President of NEOM University. The initiative was supported by Dr. Khalid Al-Dakkan, Senior Vice-President of Innovation at KACST; Prof. Donal Bradley, President of the NEOM Education, Research, and Innovation Foundation; and Mr. Ahmad Aljadaan, General Manager of Private Sector and Entrepreneurship Support at the Research, Development and Innovation Authority.

The accelerator focused on priority areas aligned with Saudi Arabia’s mission-oriented Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) sector strategy.  Two priority areas were selected by the Accelerator for immediate focus:

• Net-Zero Emissions and 
• Cognitive Cities. 

The Net-Zero initiative supports Saudi Arabia's 2060 carbon neutrality goal, while Cognitive Cities leverage advanced technologies like quantum computing and robotics to optimize resource use and enhance quality of life.

The Accelerator convened over 30 public and private sector partners to identify and develop new markets that contribute to economic transformation, net-zero transition, and the development of cognitive cities in the Kingdom. Drawing on the World Economic Forum’s Markets of Tomorrow data and a series of workshops, the Accelerator has identified gaps and opportunities to unlock new market creation for sustainable building systems and products, and smart city solutions.