Corporate Governance Models for Leadership Succession and Organizational Continuity: A Strategic Framework for Saudi Vision 2030

Leadership succession has become a critical strategic priority for organizations operating within dynamic and transformation-driven economies such as Saudi Arabia. Under the national agenda of Saudi Vision 2030, organizations are required to ensure leadership continuity, governance maturity, and institutional resilience to sustain long-term economic diversification and growth. Despite its importance, succession planning remains insufficiently integrated into corporate governance frameworks, often resulting in leadership gaps, operational disruption, and strategic misalignment. This study develops a comprehensive governance-based framework that embeds leadership succession within board-level oversight, risk governance, and strategic planning processes. Drawing on agency theory, stewardship theory, and resource dependency theory, the research examines how governance structures—particularly board composition, nomination committees, and executive evaluation systems—affect succession effectiveness in Saudi and global enterprises. A qualitative multi-case methodology is adopted to analyze governance practices in transformation-oriented organizations. The study proposes a Strategic Governance–Succession Integration Framework (SGSIF), which aligns leadership development, governance oversight, and risk management to ensure organizational continuity. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, boards, and executives seeking to institutionalize succession planning as a core governance function in support of Vision 2030 objectives.