Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background Dietary reference values are essential for nutritional assessments and nutrition-related policies. However, comprehensive Saudi-specific vitamin reference values have not been established. Therefore, this study aims to estimate dietary vitamin requirements for the Saudi population using a harmonized computational framework. Methods A computational framework based on a factorial approach was developed by reviewing the functional endpoints, physiological factors, and derivation approaches used by major international scientific bodies. These approaches were integrated into the framework to estimate reference values for fat- and water-soluble vitamins using Saudi-specific anthropometric and energy requirement data. Results The proposed reference values demonstrated age- and sex-specific patterns across all evaluated vitamins. Requirements generally increased during growth and adolescence, stabilized during adulthood, and increased further during pregnancy and lactation. Compared with international reference values, some Saudi estimates were lower for specific vitamins and population groups, reflecting differences in reference body weight and anthropometric measurements. Conclusions This is the first study to estimate Saudi-specific vitamin reference values and provides a national framework to support nutrition assessment, dietary guidance, and nutrition-related policies. The estimated values are intended for use in population-level dietary adequacy assessments and nutrition planning under the assumptions of the model and are not intended to guide individual dietary decisions or clinical interventions.</p>