Piloting the Quantum Economy Blueprint Lessons from Saudi Arabia 2026

STRATEGIC LESSON 4 Building shared understanding among decision-makers The blueprint identifies awareness and education among policy-makers and senior decision-makers as essential components of national quantum readiness. Building informed leadership across government institutions enables strategic planning, resource allocation and policy coordination that support long-term quantum development. Saudi Arabia’s pilot revealed that meaningful awareness does not emerge primarily through broad public campaigns. Instead, momentum developed when senior policy-makers began shifting from asking “What is quantum?” to asking “What is our role in it?”. In the pilot, this shift occurred through targeted engagement at key moments in the roadmap process, supported by trusted technical experts who could translate complex concepts into policy-relevant terms. A persistent gap remains, however, in framing quantum for audiences beyond expert communities. Anchoring the narrative in economic resilience, national security and technological leadership makes quantum tangible for decision-makers and builds the institutional backing needed for sustained investment and cross-government coordination. Key takeaway: Securing decision-maker commitment requires strategic, targeted engagement rather than broad awareness campaigns. Success comes from connecting quantum to national priorities such as economic competitiveness, security and technological leadership through credible technical voices. STRATEGIC LESSON 5 Embedding governance and security from the outset The blueprint emphasizes that successful national or regional quantum strategies require governance frameworks to be integrated from the outset rather than added retrospectively. Drawing on the Quantum Computing Governance Principles,16 the blueprint positions transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, equity, non-maleficence and accessibility as core elements guiding responsible quantum development. Saudi Arabia’s pilot showed that these principles become actionable only when anchored in institutional coordination and concrete policy instruments. Effective governance of quantum technologies depends on establishing dedicated regulatory and standards bodies early, ideally through government-initiated entities capable of aligning ethical oversight and standardization for responsible development. This approach would help reduce fragmentation across institutions and ensure that ethical principles are translated into operational practices rather than remaining aspirational statements.Two dimensions proved particularly urgent. First, PQC migration requires years of preparation across government and critical infrastructure. Embedding PQC planning into national quantum roadmaps early allows countries to manage this transition systematically rather than reacting to threats under time pressure. Second, governance frameworks must also account for the evolving scope of quantum communications. Quantum communications strategy should encompass more than encryption alone. A comprehensive approach includes integrated quantum networking infrastructure capable of supporting distributed computing, advanced sensing and scalable secure communications. Early integration of technology governance and security frameworks can help countries avoid the significantly higher costs and complexity associated with addressing these considerations retrospectively. Delayed engagement also risks limiting national influence over emerging international standards and governance norms shaping the quantum economy. Key takeaway: Governance, ethics and security are not afterthoughts, they are foundational enablers that shape the trajectory of quantum readiness. Establishing standards and regulatory mechanisms early, embedding responsibility through concrete policy instruments and prioritizing PQC planning enables effective quantum preparedness. While encryption capabilities merit attention, quantum communications strategies benefit from encompassing broader networking infrastructure, including distributed computing and scalable applications. Maintaining cyber resilience in the quantum era is both a sovereign and a global imperative. Aligning with international best practices in cybersecurity is a key first step, starting with cryptographic inventory, through risk assessment of critical infrastructure and data and finally through phased migration to PQC at all levels. Planning for and ensuring future cryptographic agility is also essential. Kelly Richdale, Senior Advisor, SandboxAQ Piloting the Quantum Economy Blueprint 20