Saudi Arabia Puts Quantum Economy on Fast Track
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is making significant strides in developing its quantum economy, with a focus on practical adoption and commercialization. The Quantum Forum 2026 held in Riyadh brought together researchers, government officials, and technology leaders to discuss the global quantum economy and Saudi Arabia's role in it.
According to Saad Alowayyed, project lead for the Quantum Economy Project at C4IR Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom has progressed through three stages since 2024. The first stage mapped the Saudi quantum landscape, while the second developed a proposed roadmap. The latest phase examines practical use cases through data-driven analysis and their alignment with Vision 2030.
Alowayyed identified healthcare as one of the sectors expected to be affected by quantum computing, particularly in areas such as drug analysis and genome simulation. He also mentioned telecommunications, oil and gas, and financial services as promising areas for application.