Piloting the Quantum Economy Blueprint Lessons from Saudi Arabia 2026

Theme Key message Policy recommendations Talent is key to innovation; specialist quantum engineers and technicians drive capability and leadership. Workforce developmentStrengthen academia-industry ties through joint projects and mission-led strategy.Expand quantum education and vocational training. Promote quantum literacy for policy-makers and industry managers. Attract global talent and expertise. Focused funding and global alignment on standards, interoperability and govern- ance help turn research into economic value.Innovation and commercializationUse public procurement to kick-start formation of early markets and grow investor confidence.Prioritize industry use cases with potential commercial use. Create national hubs and align with global standards. Public confidence underpins governance and strategic investment. AwarenessDevelop coordinated central quantum awareness initiatives and outreach programmes.Launch national dialogues, industry forums and quantum ambassador programmes. Share relatable success stories to inspire trust.Quantum technologies need resilient, locally supported supply chains.Hardware and supply chainMap and close critical supply chain gaps.Create a national quantum centre to coordinate the national effort. Develop global partnerships, and domestic fabrication and manufacturing. Adaptive governance ensures innovation with trust and accountability.Governance and standardsTrain regulators and officials for foresight exercises. Form a national quantum governance programme to coordinate strategy, funding and regulations. Develop certification and regulatory sandboxes for technology testing and validation. Set and update national encryption standards to prepare for the post-quantum era.CybersecuritySaudi National Cybersecurity Authority is working on updating the National Strategy for Cybersecurity, which has initiatives related to managing the cyber risks related to emerging technologies including quantum computing.Quantum technologies offer vast opportunities. A national strategy harnessing Saudi strengths ensures leadership and avoids dependency. Value chain analysisScale up domestic capability by expanding specialized laboratories.Prioritize investment to remove barriers in quantum progress, scale-up fabrication, and nurture and retain top talent. Pursue a dual-track strategy for competitive- ness and independence.Key messages and policy recommendations from Saudi Arabia’s quantum roadmap FIGURE 4 Source: Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Saudi Arabia. (2025). Towards Saudi Arabia’s Quantum-Enabled Future: Piloting the World Economic Forum’s Quantum Economy Blueprint. Piloting the Quantum Economy Blueprint 12