Comprehensive analysis of Saudi Arabia's research output: a bibliometric study (2013--2022)

TL;DR

This study analyzes Saudi Arabia's research output growth from 2013 to 2022, showing a 320% increase and linking it to economic factors.

Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Saudi Arabia's research output and its economic context.

Findings

Saudi Arabia's research output increased by 320% from 2013 to 2022.

The average annual growth rate of research output was 16%.

The study links research productivity to economic indicators like GDP.

Abstract

Bibliometric studies that employ quantitative methods are pivotal for evaluating and analysing the dissemination of scientific knowledge across various disciplines. These studies assess the impact and reach of scholarly works by examining citation patterns, authorship trends, and publication metrics.

This study examines Saudi Arabia’s research paper output indexed in the Scopus database, utilizing bibliographic data from the SciVal database. SciVal provides comprehensive cross-searching capabilities across various citation indices and databases, offering multidisciplinary information from high-impact journals. The data aggregation from SciVal includes filtering options such as years, subject areas, publication sources, citation counts, and productivity metrics for researchers, institutions, and countries.

This research focuses on Saudi Arabia’s research productivity and the performance of its top universities from 2013–2022. Additionally, information on average per capita GDP and total GDP for the past nine years was sourced from World Bank data. The analysis encompasses all nations that published research productivity articles annually within the specified period. The present study revealed that the research output from Saudi Arabia increased 320%, with an average annual growth rate of 16%.

The present study provides insights into the research productivity of Saudi Arabia and its leading universities, contributing to a broader understanding of global scientific output and its economic context. This study provides an idea to other nations to balance their research output vis-a-vis their economic growth.

Figures

Publication trends with the FWVI and FWCI over time.

Scholarly output and field-weighted citation impact across disciplines in Saudi Arabia.

Top 10 research topic clusters in Saudi Arabian publications.

Yearly trend in the number of authors per publication.

Comparison of the performance of Saudi Arabia in terms of UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Global collaboration in scientific publications: Yearly trends in international partnerships.

Trends in national and international research collaborations.

Growth of OA publications with and without international collaboration.

Tables

Table 1.. Yearwise growth of publications.

Year	Publications (%)	Growth rate	Average growth rate (%)
2013	11695 (4.9%)	0	0
2014	14232 (6.0%)	2537	21.7
2015	15921 (6.7%)	1689	11.9
2016	16979 (7.1%)	1058	6.6
2017	17232 (7.2%)	253	1.5
2018	18774 (7.9%)	1542	8.9
2019	22497 (9.4%)	3723	19.8
2020	31436 (13.2%)	8939	39.7
2021	40464 (17.0%)	9028	28.7
2022	49136 (20.6%)	8672	21.4
Total	238366	37441	Average = 16.0

Table 2.. Differences in impact scores between international and national collaboration research outputs.

	National collaborations	International collaborations	Result
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	P value *
FWVI	0.98 ± 1.34	1.41 ± 3.47	<0.001
FWCI	0.84 ± 1.48	1.73 ± 6.68	<0.001

Table 3.. Top ten countries that collaborated in publications with Saudi Arabia, 2013–2022.

COUNTRY	Documents (n=183536) (%)	Average FWVI	Average FWCI
Egypt	31250 (17.0%)	0.97	1.08
India	10560 (5.8%)	0.96	1.26
United States	9115 (5.0%)	1.34	1.44
Pakistan	9112 (5.0%)	0.87	1.45
China	5279 (2.9%)	1.29	2.53
Tunisia	3702 (2.0%)	0.92	0.86
United Kingdom	3603 (2.0%)	1.27	1.23
Malaysia	3030 (1.7%)	1.61	1.17
Canada	2854 (1.6%)	1.11	1.05
Australia	1767 (1.0%)	1.46	1.33

Table 4.. Research productivity ranking of Saudi Arabia’s top five universities.

Sl. No.	Name of University	The ranking	Total publications	International collaboration paper	Open access publication	FWVI (Mean & SD)	FWCI (Mean & SD)
1	King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals	201-250	13165	8117 (61.7%)	4231 (32.1%)	1.24 ± 1.16	1.48 ± 2.24
2	King Abdulaziz University	251-300	44849	37282 (83.1%)	21097 (47.0%)	1.27 ± 2.13	1.90 ± 9.84
3	King Saud University	401-500	49288	37055 (75.2%)	25479 (51.7%)	1.23 ± 3.67	1.46 ± 4.52
4	Prince Sultan University (PSU)	401-500	3440	2874 (83.6%)	2210 (64.2%)	1.42 ± 1.41	2.09 ± 3.28
5	Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University	401-500	3827	2835 (74.1%)	1897 (49.6%)	1.05 ± 1.51	1.21 ± 2.60

Full text

1. Introduction

Scientific research is a cornerstone of national development, reflecting a country’s intellectual progress and its contribution to global knowledge. In recent years, bibliometric studies have emerged as indispensable tools for understanding the dynamics of research productivity and its broader implications. These studies enable the evaluation of scientific output by examining key parameters such as citation impact, authorship trends, publication metrics, and institutional productivity. This article delves into the original research paper output of Saudi Arabia, as indexed in the Scopus database, over a decade (2013–2022), offering a comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

Saudi Arabia, the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula, spans approximately 2.15 million square kilometers and is characterized by a harsh, dry desert climate with significant temperature extremes. The population is approximately 36.5 million, predominantly Arab, with a significant proportion of expatriates. ^ 1 ^ Academically, Saudi Arabia has made significant strides, particularly under Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and enhance human capital through educational reforms and research initiatives. ^ 2, 3 ^ The country has seen an increase in scientific productivity and international collaboration. ^ 4– 6 ^ Papers ^ 7, 8 ^ highlight the challenges faced by the training needs assessment system in Saudi Arabian public universities, revealing issues such as inadequate HR processes, favouritism, and resource misuse. Saudi universities have adopted strategies for achieving sustainable development goals by adapting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework. ^ 9 ^

Several bibliometric studies have been reported in the past indicating the impact of research at the individual, institution, country, etc., levels. A study reported in Ref. 10 investigated the relationship between higher education expenditures and economic development in Saudi Arabia over forty years (1978–2017) and reported no significant correlation despite substantial investment in higher education as part of the sustainable development process. Artificial intelligence awareness in higher education at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University is low, highlighting the need for increased awareness of its educational applications. ^ 11 ^ Emirates policies in transnational higher education transform academic institutions globally, impacting students, teachers, and administrators amid shifting globalization dynamics. ^ 12 ^ Integrating digital information and tutor quality enhances technology acceptance in education, with user traits and information flow influencing adoption. ^ 13 ^ Information communication technology use in Saudi universities is driven by computer self-efficacy, anxiety, and enjoyment, which impact students’ satisfaction and continued use for digital learning. ^ 14 ^ King Saud University council members contribute to institutional strategy through role-based responsibilities, technology use, multilevel engagement, and collaborative governance. ^ 15 ^

Students’ trajectory movements in and beyond academic spaces influence sustainable academic performance, impacting educational outcomes and development goals. ^ 16 ^ Strategic group analysis reveals UAE higher education institutions’ market segmentation, aiding competitive positioning and target market selection. ^ 17 ^ Task technology fit and information system success models reveal that system quality, information quality, and user experience drive students’ adoption of e-learning in higher education. ^ 18 ^ The technology acceptance model confirms that perceived ease of use and usefulness influence students’ intention to use a learning management system, guiding policy and strategy in Saudi universities. ^ 19 ^ Saudi institutions support Vision 2030 by prioritizing modern curricula, industry-aligned learning, skilled graduates, research innovation, and global collaboration to bridge education-market gaps. ^ 20 ^ Students’ satisfaction with IAU service quality is influenced by Gulf culture, professionalism, and institutional factors, guiding policymakers in enhancing educational service quality. ^ 21 ^ The HF-HEQ-BI framework uses BI dashboards to monitor QA in KSA HEIs, integrating NCAAA standards, KPIs, and social media sentiment analysis for timely decision-making. ^ 22 ^ Students at King Khalid University rate service quality lower than expected, with assurance scoring highest and empathy lowest, showing gender-based differences in tangible evaluations. ^ 23 ^

Organizational, individual, and technology factors drive creativity in Saudi HEIs, fostering research and teaching innovation for a knowledge-based economy. ^ 24 ^ Research infrastructure, knowledge generation, and organizational support drive the research culture in Saudi higher education institutions, enhancing faculty performance but not mitigating unproductive behaviours. ^ 25 ^ ^,^ ^ 26 ^ Qualitative researchers in the KSA face challenges related to organizational, social, cultural, and methodological factors, highlighting the need for institutional support and policy reform. ^ 27 ^ High-performance HR practices such as training, recognition, and internal mobility increase faculty career success and research performance, whereas decision-making participation hinders research output. ^ 28 ^ Saudi T&I research grew significantly from 1990–2019, with a surge in publications after 2010, driven by pedagogy-focused studies and expanding university translation departments. ^ 29 ^ A 44-item scale with 5 dimensions was validated to measure perceived IT service quality in higher education, which was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. ^ 30 ^

OER adoption in higher education is influenced by relative advantage, observability, complexity, and compatibility, with calls for initiatives to address trialability and compatibility challenges. ^ 31 ^ The KSA ranks 41st globally in OA publications, with significant growth in the past decade, led by King Saud University, and the most cited works are from King Abdulaziz University. ^ 32 ^ Medical students at Majmaah University relied on online resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, with males and high-GPA students shifting more, highlighting the need for proactive academic support. ^ 33 ^ Global university OA adoption is tracked for 963 institutions, highlighting methodological challenges and the need for better OS policy indicators. ^ 34 ^ COVID-19 research highlights China’s leadership and growing global collaboration, with 91.4% of 2020 publications providing open access, reflecting urgent efforts to share knowledge. ^ 35 ^ LIS research in the Arab region has grown significantly, with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia leading, with a focus on academic libraries, bibliometrics, and social media, whereas areas such as AI and digital libraries need more attention. ^ 36 ^

In conclusion, Saudi Arabia’s research landscape is witnessing a paradigm shift driven by strategic investments, targeted research domains, comprehensive funding mechanisms, and the integration of advanced technologies. The findings serve as benchmarks for policymakers, researchers, and academic institutions to identify opportunities for enhancing research impact and aligning scientific endeavors with national development goals. Additionally, to contextualize these findings, the study incorporates economic indicators such as average per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (current US$) and total gross domestic product (GDP) (current US$) for Saudi Arabia during the same period, derived from World Bank sources. In addition, we hope to provide national benchmarking data that can be helpful to researchers for the purposes of planning and monitoring institutional development for the purposes of performance review. The objective of the present study is to provide an updated and systematic examination of the development and current state of research productivity in Saudi Arabia.

1.1 Details of the data

In this study, bibliometric analysis to evaluate published papers using the SciVal tool via the Scopus database, focusing on articles published over a nine-year period. The research team searched the SciVal database ( http://www.scival.com), limiting the search to keywords and publications from 2013 to 2022. Only original articles from this period were included, while editorials, conference papers, reviews, and other types of publications were excluded. Publications in all languages were considered, with no additional filters applied.

Preliminary analyses were conducted using SciVal tools to gather information about authors, affiliations, and journals. The retrieved data were downloaded from SciVal, and the metadata of the final collection were exported to a CSV file. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics). Continuous variables were described using means ± standard deviations, and categorical variables were presented as percentages. Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical variables, while an independent sample t-test was used to analyze mean differences between two groups.

Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was calculated to assess correlations between variables, with values ranging from -1 to +1. The rho score interpretation was as follows: <0.25 indicated a weak correlation, 0.25–0.49 a moderate correlation, 0.50–0.74 a strong correlation, and >0.75 a robust correlation. A p-value of 0.05 was adopted as the significance threshold.

Methods

This article analyses Saudi Arabia’s original research paper output indexed in the Scopus database. The bibliographic data were retrieved from the SciVal database, a Web-based database that provides simultaneous cross-searching of a range of citation indices and databases, with multidisciplinary information from high-impact journals. It aggregates bibliographic data from the SciVal citation indices and offers various data filtering options, such as years, subject areas, sources of publication, citation counts, productivity of researchers, institutions, countries, etc. In this study, we investigate Saudi Arabia’s research productivity as well as the productivity of these nations’ top universities from 2013–2022, as provided in the SciVal database, and information regarding their average per capita GDP and total GDP were gathered from World Bank sources for the previous nine years. The analysis included all the nations that published research productivity articles annually between 2013 and 2022. Bibliometric studies have become an essential tool for evaluating and analysing the proliferation of scientific knowledge within various disciplines. By employing quantitative methods, these studies assess the impact and reach of scholarly works through the examination of citation patterns, authorship trends, and publication metrics.

1.2 Publications

To identify the total Saudi Arabia’s research output, a country field tag, Saudi Arabia, was used in the SciVal database as a search option. Publications published from 2013–2022 were considered for the analysis in the proposed work. With this method, a total of 296599 papers were retrieved. The retrieved documents were then refined by using the “publication type” section to identify Saudi Arabia’s research output in journal articles. Only journal articles were included in this study, and other documents, such as conference papers, letters, reviews, editorials, and meeting abstracts, were excluded. For this study, we included 238366 articles, and the publication years of the included articles are presented as both numbers and percentages. The number of publications increased significantly by 320% over a period of ten years, from 11,695 in 2013 to 49,136 in 2022 ( Table 1). Publications increased consistently between 2013 and 2022, with a significant acceleration in the last few years. The change in pattern suggests that academic activity and research output increased significantly throughout this time. A productivity index was calculated to compare the individual growth trend according to its baseline in 2013, defined as (Current Year Total – 2013 total)/2013 Total. ^ 37 ^

Table 1 reflects the yearly distribution of articles published in the journal within the specified period (2013–2022) and shows the percentage of the number of articles published each year. The figure also revealed that a total of 238,366 research papers were published during this period, with an average growth rate of 16.0% papers per year. There is an increase in the number of publications found each year, and it continued in all the later years of study. The highest growth rate was recorded in 2020, with a growth rate of 39.7%, followed by 2021, with a growth rate of 28.27%. The growth rate is calculated via the following formula. It is evident from the figure shown above that the number of articles published each year in this journal tends to be used to measure the growth of the literature.

Figure 1 depicts the yearly total number of publications and the average impact score of the FWVI and FWCI received per paper per year. Importantly, there has been a substantial and consistent increase in the number of publications over the years, and the FWCI shows a general upwards trend, indicating improved citation impact over time; however, despite the increasing number of publications, the relative viewership impact has diminished over the years. The continuous increase in the number of publications is accompanied by a steady rise in the FWCI, with a significant positive correlation (R ^2^ = 0.66, P = 0.039) across the years. This finding indicates that the increase in volume has not diluted citation quality; rather, it has improved it. In contrast to the FWCI, the FWVI is not positively correlated (R ^2^ = -0.83, P = 0.003) with an increase in the number of publications. Compared with those of the FWCI and FWVI, both metrics initially improved, but after 2015, their paths diverged. The FWCI continued to rise, indicating increasing citation impact, whereas the FWVI declined.

Publication trends with the FWVI and FWCI over time.

Figure 2 Saudi Arabia’s scholarly output and field-weighted citation impact, 2018–2023: There is clearly substantial variation across research productivity and impact. While leading in the volume of scholarly outputs at 67,174 publications, the field-weighted citation impact was almost lower at 1.78 than that of other disciplines. Medicine followed with 51,967 and a citation impact of 1.33. In the fields of computer science and materials science, large outputs are found, with 51,438 and 47,395 publications, respectively, with higher citation impacts of 1.62 and 1.81, respectively, and thus more substantial influence per publication. Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics also have well-balanced contributions, with outputs of 42,520–34,421 and citation impacts of approximately 1.67–1.76. Although lower outputs can be found in biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology, with 32,927, their impact of 1.56 is remarkable. Another example includes Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science, with outputs of 27,130 and 23,993, respectively, which amount to robust citation impacts of 1.66 and 1.80. These data demonstrate the diverse research landscape in Saudi Arabia, which manifests high productivity and considerable implications across many fields of science.

Scholarly output and field-weighted citation impact across disciplines in Saudi Arabia.

As shown in Figure 3, the top 10 research topics in Saudi Arabian publications for the period from 2018–2023 range from a wide array of focus areas, thereby underpinning the breadth of research initiatives the country has undertaken. For heat transfer, the Nusselt number is the most prolific cluster, with nearly 7,000 publications, underlining a strong orientation toward thermodynamics and related engineering applications. The next ones are “Photocatalysis” and “COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2,” with over 5,000 publications each, reflecting global and regional priorities in renewable energy solutions and pandemic-related research. Other key clusters are “Algorithms, Computer Science,” “Plasmons, Metamaterials,” and “Secondary Batteries,” each contributing 3,000–5,000 publications on improvements in computational techniques, nanotechnology, and energy storage technologies. Intense research has also been conducted in “Tooth; Bone and Bones,” “Wireless Sensor Networks,” “Graphene; Carbon Nanotubes,” and “Fractional; Fractional Calculus,” all with large outputs, which thus focus on biomedical engineering and communication technologies, as well as advanced materials science. This broad list of productive research areas highlights the comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach Saudi Arabia has toward scientific inquiry.

Top 10 research topic clusters in Saudi Arabian publications.

Figure 4 represents a comprehensive view of authorship trends in academic publications over a decade, from 2013–2022. The number of authors per publication is based on the figure provided, and we can observe trends and changes in authorship over the years. A Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to compare the median number of authorships per publication across the years, resulting in a p value of 0.001. The data highlight that the median number of authors per article increased from four (IQR: 1–2263) in 2013 to six (IQR: 1–2302) in 2016. This highlights that the median number of authors per publication has shown a clear upwards trend and that the number of authors per paper has significantly increased over the 10-year period (P <0.001). The data from 2013–2022 show a clear pattern of decreasing isolated events (singles and doubles) and a corresponding increase in larger clusters (three occurrences and four or more occurrences). In 2013, publications with four or more authors constituted 50.9% of the total, and this proportion grew to 75.5% by 2022. In 2013, single-author publications made up 11.9% of the total, but by 2022, this figure had dropped to just 6.8%. This decline reflects a growing trend towards collaborative research.

Yearly trend in the number of authors per publication.

The radar chart in Figure 5 reveals Saudi Arabia’s excellent performance on some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, 2018–2023, against the world average. Saudi Arabia is exemplary in SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, above the world average. This redundantly underlines that this nation is rightly committed to developing clean energy agendas and infrastructural development. Moreover, Saudi Arabia performs well with respect to SDG 16 in terms of peace, justice, and strong institutions and with respect to SDG 8 in terms of decent work and economic growth, hence truly succeeding in building a society that works both stably and moderately and is economically dynamic. This means that the country does show its commitment to sustainable development and what it has been able to do thus far in taking concrete initiatives toward pursuing some of the critical global challenges that affect humankind.

Comparison of the performance of Saudi Arabia in terms of UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).

2. Analysis

The data on publications from national and international collaborations paint a vivid picture of the evolving landscape of scientific research. A higher count of publications suggests international collaboration and greater visibility, knowledge exchange, and potential for broader societal impact. International collaborations clearly dominate in terms of sheer volume, reflecting the global nature of modern scientific inquiry and the increasing emphasis on cross-border collaboration, as shown in Figure 6a. The data provided the maximum number of international collaborations for each year from 2013–2022, as shown in Figure 6b. The maximum number of international collaborations varied each year, ranging from 42 in 2013 to 130 in 2020. There are fluctuations in the maximum number of international collaborations across the years, with some years experiencing significant increases or decreases compared with the previous year, with 2020 standing out as the year with the highest maximum international collaborations, reaching 130.

Global collaboration in scientific publications: Yearly trends in international partnerships.

Figure 7 shows that both national and international collaborative papers consistently and significantly increased over the observed period. This indicates a growing trend towards collaborative research, both within the country and internationally. The number of papers resulting from international collaboration increased more than fourfold from 2013 to 2022. There was a noticeable acceleration in growth from 2018 onwards, and the highest growth occurred between 2019 and 2020, where the number of papers surged by 6,520, reaching 23,483 in 2020, indicating a significant 38.4% increase. The number of national collaborative papers increased steadily from 3,255 in 2013 to 9,944 in 2022. The average annual growth rate for national collaborations stands at approximately 16.9%, reflecting a steady but slightly slower expansion than that of international collaborations. While both types of collaboration have increased significantly, international collaboration has seen a more substantial numerical increase than national collaboration has, but national collaboration has shown consistent proportional growth, indicating a sustained effort within institute collaborative research. In conclusion, a positive correlation of r = 0.988, p value = 0.001 between national and international publications in Saudi Arabia indicates a very strong relationship, suggesting that efforts to promote research effectively contribute to both national and international scholarly outputs.

Trends in national and international research collaborations.

From Table 2, a Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to compare the mean FWVI and FWCI scores between country-by-country collaborative and national collaborative publications, resulting in a p value of 0.001. This indicates a statistically significant difference between the mean FWVI and FWCI scores in publications between country-by-country collaborative and national collaborative publications. The data highlight the potential impact of collaboration in publications on citation metrics, with multiple collaboration papers (1.41 ± 3.47) showing a higher mean FWVI in publications but also greater variability than national collaboration papers (0.98 ± 1.34), similar to FWCI citations. Overall, the data suggest that international collaborations have a stronger impact in terms of both views and citations than do national collaborations.

Both national and international open access collaboration have shown a consistent upwards trend over the observed period, as shown in Figure 8. The percentage of open access publications from national collaborations started at 3.6% in 2013 and increased steadily each year, reaching 22.4% by 2022. This growth is notable, showing a more than sixfold increase over the decade. Significant annual increases are observed, particularly from 2018 onwards, where the percentage jumped from 7.4% to 10.5% in 2019, marking a substantial 3.1% increase in a single year. The highest growth rate was observed between 2019 and 2020, with a 5.6% increase. International collaboration in open access started slightly lower than national collaboration at 3.1% in 2013 but experienced a more dramatic rise, reaching 26.3% by 2022. This represents an eightfold increase. The data reveal a steady increase each year, with notable jumps between 2019 and 2020 (from 8.8% to 13.7%) and a significant increase from 2021 to 2022 (from 20.0% to 26.3%). These jumps suggest potential influences on increasing global research networks. In conclusion, a positive correlation of r = 0.979, p value = 0.001 between national and international open access publications in Saudi Arabia indicates a very strong relationship, suggesting that efforts to promote research in open access publications effectively contribute to both national and international scholarly outputs.

Growth of OA publications with and without international collaboration.

In assessing the patterns of collaboration in scientific research by Saudi Arabia, researchers with others in the rest of the world were included. The top 10 foreign organizations collaborating with Saudi Arabia organizations in research contributed 183536 papers. Egypt leads with a substantial 17.0% of the total 183,536 collaborative documents, highlighting strong research collaboration. India (5.8%, 10560 papers) and the United States (5.0%, 9115 papers) follow closely, demonstrating their role in producing impactful research with Saudi Arabia, followed distantly by Pakistan (5.0%, 9112 papers), China (2.9%, 5279 papers), Tunisia (2.0%, 3702 papers), the United Kingdom (2.0%, 3603), Malaysia (1.7%, 3030 papers), Canada (1.6%, 2854 papers), and Australia (1.0%, 1767 papers) from 2013–2022, as shown in Table 3. Comparative analysis of scholarly publications and their citation impact for Saudi Arabia and its collaborating countries, 2018–2023. Malaysia achieves the highest average FWVI at 1.61, suggesting that its collaborative publications with Saudi Arabia receive significantly more attention than the world average does, and Australia receives notable attention for their research, as indicated by their high FWVI score of 1.46, indicating that their collaborative work is well recognized and viewed. Similarly, China has the highest FWCI at 2.53, indicating that its collaborative research with Saudi Arabia is exceptionally impactful. However, at least from the data presented, what was surprising was that too many such publications were not matched by a proportionate high citation impact or other such measures. Some collaborating countries show a reduced count of publications offset with an impact score, hence a focus on creating impactful research. It also exemplifies how enhancing the quality and impact of research is as important as increasing scholarly output to achieve greater recognition and influence in the eyes of the global academic community.

Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in higher education and research, reflected in the performance of its top universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings. This report provides a detailed analysis of the performance of the leading Saudi Arabian universities on the basis of various metrics. The University King Saud University is ranked 401–500. It has the highest number of total publications among the universities listed, with 49,288 publications. Prince Sultan University (PSU), which is also in the 401–500 range, excels in international collaboration (83.6%) and open access publications (64.2%), indicating a strong global research presence. Furthermore, PSU’s field-weighted view impact (FWVI) of 1.42 and field-weighted citation impact (FWCI) of 2.09 are the highest among the listed universities, reflecting its research’s substantial influence and visibility. In summary, while King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is top ranked, Prince Sultan University stands out for its high research impact and global collaboration. King Saud University leads in research output, demonstrating significant productivity. Each institution has unique strengths, contributing to a diverse and dynamic research landscape in the region.

This reflects high-level results on the number of publications published, their citation impact and how well research institutions internationally collaborate in science. This underscores the country’s strong emphasis on research quality and quantity over the years, with the year-to-year rise in publishing volume accompanying the increasing citation impact. Second, the table highlights Saudi Arabia’s success in working in partnership with universities and research institutions worldwide to build a broader and more international research base. The total number of publications included in this study was 238366. The mean per capita GDP for Saudi Arbia countries is 797.3±130.8 US$ (per billion dollars). The Pearson correlation coefficient between the GDP per capita and total number of research documents among Saudi Arabia countries during the period 2013–2022. However, we did not find a strong positive correlation between per capita GDP and research outcomes (r = 0.600, p value = 0.067).

Moreover, from the table, we can observe that there are strong positive (low correlation values) relationships between the number of publications as well as the citation impact and international collaboration. These results infer that enhanced collaborative efforts and greater publication productivity are correlated with better citation impact, thus verifying the overall strategy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards collaboration and abundant research publishing culture to ensure an improvement in quality as well as in conducting research with global outreach. It is a trajectory that aligns with Saudi Arabia’s ambition to improve its academic and scientific rank on the global map.

3. Conclusion

In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of Saudi Arabia’s evolving research landscape from 2013–2022, highlighting the nation’s strategic investments in higher education and research infrastructure. Over this period, the research output experienced an unprecedented 320% increase, with an average annual growth rate of 16%, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing its global research presence. This sustained growth trajectory reflects the nation’s focused efforts to establish itself as a significant contributor to the international research community.

The thematic trajectory of Saudi Arabia’s research reveals a shift toward diverse, interdisciplinary, and high-impact domains. Notably, academic institutions such as King Saud University and Prince Sultan University have played instrumental roles in this transformation. These universities have demonstrated exemplary performance, particularly in fostering robust international collaborations and producing high-impact research outputs. The study highlights a significant fourfold increase in international collaborations, particularly with countries such as Egypt, India, and the United States. These partnerships have facilitated cross-border knowledge exchange and coauthorship of impactful research, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s strategic goal of fostering global academic alliances.

One of the most salient insights from this study is the correlation between multiauthored, collaborative publications and heightened citation and viewership impacts. This finding underscores the value of collective research efforts, as interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration significantly enhances research visibility and influence. Moreover, the study identifies the expansion of open-access publishing as a critical driver of this visibility. Open-access publications have democratized access to scholarly work, facilitating broader dissemination and increasing the readership of Saudi Arabia’s research output.

The study’s examination of the relationship between economic indicators and research performance offers a nuanced perspective. While Saudi Arabia’s GDP per capita remains lower than that of Western economies such as the United States and several European nations, the analysis reveals no direct association between GDP per capita and research outcomes. This finding indicates that targeted investments in research capacity-building and institutional infrastructure, rather than macroeconomic indicators, are the primary drivers of research success in Saudi Arabia. The study’s findings challenge conventional assumptions that economic wealth alone determines research productivity, thereby highlighting the role of strategic planning and investment.

Despite its comprehensive scope, this study has certain limitations. Addressing these limitations could provide a more nuanced understanding of the underlying factors influencing research productivity and impact. For example, incorporating additional forms of scholarly outputs such as patents, books, and case studies, as well as considering input factors such as research funding, faculty capacity, and institutional support, would offer a more holistic view of Saudi Arabia’s research ecosystem and better inform policy development and strategic planning. It focuses primarily on journal publications indexed in Scopus, excluding other significant scholarly outputs such as patents, books, and case studies. Additionally, input factors such as research funding, faculty capacity, and institutional support—critical elements for evaluating research ecosystems—were not considered in this analysis. Future studies should incorporate these variables to provide a more holistic assessment of Saudi Arabia’s research ecosystem and the factors driving its growth.

In summary, this study underscores Saudi Arabia’s dynamic evolution in research productivity and impact from 2013–2022. The 320% increase in research output, alongside an annual growth rate of 16%, exemplifies the nation’s deliberate and strategic efforts to cultivate a globally competitive research environment. The study’s analysis captures thematic shifts in research focus, increased collaborative activities, and notable changes in scientific impact. Key academic institutions, notably King Saud University and Prince Sultan University, have exhibited outstanding performance in fostering international collaboration and producing high-impact research. The fourfold increase in international collaborations—particularly with Egypt, India, and the United States—further highlights Saudi Arabia’s commitment to building strategic global partnerships.

The rise in open-access publishing has been another significant development, expanding the global reach of Saudi Arabian research and ensuring greater accessibility to scholarly outputs. Compared with global trends in open-access publishing, Saudi Arabia’s growth aligns with the broader movement toward open-access dissemination, which aims to democratize knowledge and increase the visibility of academic research. This alignment positions Saudi Arabia as an active participant in a global shift towards greater accessibility and transparency in scholarly communication. The findings challenge traditional notions that higher GDP per capita necessarily correlates with better research outcomes, instead emphasizing that strategic investment in research infrastructure, collaboration, and open-access dissemination are key determinants of success.

While the study’s limitations—notably its focus on Scopus-indexed journal articles and its exclusion of other scholarly outputs—should be addressed in future research, its findings offer valuable insights into Saudi Arabia’s evolving research ecosystem. The results emphasize the growing impact of collaboration, the critical role of academic institutions, and the increasing significance of open-access dissemination. The transformation of Saudi Arabia’s research landscape is characterized by substantial growth in productivity, collaboration, and impact, reflecting the nation’s ambition to become a globally influential research hub. Future research should examine alternative scholarly outputs, key input variables, and the role of interdisciplinary collaboration to provide a more comprehensive view of Saudi Arabia’s research capacity and its contributions to the global academic community.

Ethics and consent

Ethical approval and consent were not required.