Enhancing Arabic in scientific research

This article examines how targeted investment in Arabic linguistic infrastructure, coupled with coordinated language planning, can strengthen cognitive sovereignty — understood as the capacity to produce, circulate, and validate knowledge through Arabic at high levels of scientific complexity. Using Saudi Arabia as a case study and drawing on comparative lessons from CLARIN (Europe), U.S. Language Resource Centres, and selected revitalisation and digital-sovereignty initiatives, the analysis maps Saudi interventions across language technology, corpus and terminology development, higher-education reform, and institutional governance. It then proposes an evaluative framework for estimating the cognitive return on linguistic investment through measurable KPIs (bibliometric, educational, digital-usage, and innovation indicators). To support practical uptake, the paper outlines a staged implementation pathway — baseline measurement, limited pilots in priority domains, and iterative refinement through an annual dashboard — so indicators can be tested, validated, and scaled. The study concludes with policy recommendations for positioning Arabic as a strategic knowledge asset and for enabling regional collaboration on shared infrastructure and standards.