Regional Competitiveness for Achieving Sustainable Development of Hail Region, Saudi Arabia

The concept of competitiveness has had a notable influence on the strategies and policies adopted recently. In particular, the concept of regional competitiveness has attracted significant interest from policymakers due to its capacity to assess and compare different territories in the absence of an established policy or conceptual framework. Nevertheless, the concept of regional competitiveness itself has been a topic of debate among scholars, along with the dimensions that should be included in such a concept. The aim of this study is to examine and evaluate the competitive landscape at the regional level in Saudi Arabia. In this regard, the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI), as proposed by the European Union, provides an appropriate framework for analysis. The index is made up of eleven pillars classified into three sub-indices: basic, efficiency, and innovation assess factors pertinent to businesses that extend beyond those relevant to the residents of the regions in question and their quality of life. The findings indicate that the RCI indicator performs robustly to the variable reduction methods employed. Moreover, the study’s results indicate that Riyadh and Makkah are the two regions with the highest scores of the index, with values of 18.705 and 17.949, respectively. In contrast, the Hail region exhibits an average performance in comparison to the other regions. The RCI scores indicate notable disparities in competitiveness between provinces. In light of these findings, it can be proposed that efforts to enhance a region’s competitive standing should be accompanied by efficacious enhancements to its economic and social facets to ensure sustainability.