Background: Global literature shows that clinical research is often underutilised across all levels of healthcare systems, resulting in a persistent knowledge-do gap. In this context, Knowledge Translation (KT) has emerged internationally as a key mechanism for bridging this gap by systematically moving evidence into policy and practice. Within our own setting, an assessment of the National Approved Clinical Guideline revealed that local research constitutes only a small proportion of the cited references. In response, the Saudi National Institute of Health (Saudi NIH), through its Knowledge Translation Department, has launched a pioneering initiative to strengthen the contribution of locally generated evidence to clinical guidance and decision-making.
Objectives: To describe and document a national model for translating research findings into evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
Method: The Saudi NIH launched the initiative on 3 February 2025 to identify and assess research outcomes published between 2020 and 2024 across six predefined thematic tracks focusing on the Saudi population. Eligible publications were collected during the first month after the submission portal opened. After portal closure, all submissions were evaluated using 13 KT toolkits, and a weighted percentage was then derived using a predefined equation to generate the results.
Results: A total of 390 publications were submitted through the online portal. These publications were submitted by 206 researchers from 128 different institutions. In addition, the infectious diseases track had the highest number of submissions, with 108 (28%). At the same time, the liver disease track had the lowest representation, with 18 (4%). Ultimately, 40 papers were selected for recommendation.
Conclusion: This national KT initiative establishes a novel framework that strengthens local research in guideline development and promotes evidence?informed health decisions.