Strengthening national resilience: Governance of emergency response and business continuity in Saudi Arabia

The study aims to strengthen national resilience in Saudi Arabia by developing a governance framework for emergency response and business continuity planning by examining the governance structure in Saudi Arabia and incorporating findings from a benchmarking study of three countries globally recognised for their resilience frameworks: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has placed resilience at the core of its national development strategy, aligning with Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This approach reflects the Kingdom's recognition of growing risks associated with rapid urbanisation, economic expansion, and diverse geographical conditions. Guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, Saudi Arabia has established the National Risk Council, chaired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to oversee policies on risk assessment, vulnerability reduction, infrastructure resilience, business continuity, and emergency response planning.

This study used a comparative policy analysis grounded in documentary review to identify best practices across three dimensions: planning types and levels, vertical and horizontal alignment, and planning processes with validation mechanisms. The analysis highlights both strengths and challenges within Saudi Arabia's evolving governance arrangements and outlines emerging improvements in inter-agency coordination and operational effectiveness. The findings contribute actionable insights for enhancing national resilience and offer lessons applicable to other nations seeking to refine their governance and continuity planning.