Digital Innovation Through NFTs: A Sustainable Transformation Framework for Saudi Arabia’s Art Ecosystem

This exploratory study examines <u>the perceived</u> challenges and opportunities for integrating NFTs into Saudi Arabia’s art market and their alignment with Vision 2030. A mixed-methods design combined a quantitative survey (n = 66) with qualitative thematic analysis, primarily targeting digitally-engaged stakeholders. Participants were artists (48.5%), academics/researchers (21.2%), and technology professionals (16.7%). Findings <u>suggest</u> a large interest–implementation gap: 53.0% expressed interest in NFTs, but only 18.2% had created them. Cultural preservation was the leading motivation (68.2%). Barrier severity (Moderate+Major) was highest for market volatility (58.5%), technical complexity (56.9%), and cultural considerations (55.4%), followed by financial risks (50.8%) and regulatory uncertainty (43.1%). Priority support needs were technical training (77.3%) and legal consultation (68.2%). Emerging technology priorities were AI/ML (78.8%) and VR/AR (57.6%). These initial findings indicate that NFTs therefore align with Vision 2030’s cultural and digital-economy goals, but progress requires a three-pronged framework: education and public awareness, enabling infrastructure and legal/regulatory mechanisms, and cross-sector partnerships.

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