Abstract
Saudi Arabia is adopting knowledge-based development (KBD) to diversify its economy, improve quality of life, increase regional equality, and maximize national competitiveness. The latest investment in information and communications technology (ICT), economic cities, science, technology, entrepreneurship, and human capital development are all an accelerating stimulus toward a new wave in Saudi Arabia's development. The vision of Saudi Arabia's Development Strategy is to make significant progress toward achieving a knowledge-based economy (KBE) by 2024. Thus, various projects have been initiated to provide a favorable environment for KBE to meet its objectives. These projects vary in size, nature, progress, achievements, and spatial influences on national, regional, urban, and local development. As these projects progress, the extent of the emerging KBD and its alignment with the Kingdom's vision of a knowledge-based economy need to be assessed. As their development may be massive and quick, there is a risk of uncoordinated implementation. Different government agencies and private bodies execute KBD projects related to knowledge incubators, clusters, and cities. Thus, there is potential for fragmentation rather than synergy. While some KBD projects in Saudi Arabia are operational, some are under construction, and others have been planned. However, since no comprehensive studies have explored the extent of KBD in Saudi Arabia, this study intends to fill this gap by comparing its planned and actual achievements.