Riyadh: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced its membership in the Global Innovation Districts Alliance, a network launched by the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP). The alliance aims to connect innovation districts worldwide, accelerate technological advancements, and foster economic growth. According to Saudi Press Agency, KACST's transition from an "Innovation Park" to an "Innovation District" underscores its contributions to research and development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure development. The organization has established business incubators and accelerators to support startups, innovators, and technological projects. These efforts align with Vision 2030's goals to diversify the economy and increase the GDP contribution of non-oil sectors, solidifying the Kingdom's position as a global innovation hub. The Global Innovation Districts Alliance includes 17 member nations such as Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Bra zil, Spain, Germany, and Italy. It facilitates knowledge transfer and best practice sharing among its members and aims to develop performance indicators and evaluation criteria to integrate diverse innovation regions, universities, companies, and communities. This alliance will also promote technology transfer, attract international investors and partners, expand business incubator and startup programs, and offer opportunities for growth. Member states can showcase their local development initiatives, contributing to the creation of environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable cities. Eight Saudi innovation parks, including KACST, Dhahran Techno Valley, KAUST, Aramco's Innovation and Product Development Center, and Taibah Valley, are part of IASP, which incubates the Global Innovation Districts Alliance. The alliance has a global membership of 320 science parks and R and D centers.