C4IR Saudi Arabia to Host Global Experts in Celebration of 100 Years of Quantum Science at World Quantum Day 2025 Event

Insider Brief

• C4IR Saudi Arabia, in partnership with KACST and Saudi Aramco, will host “Discovering Quantum Possibilities” on April 14, 2025, to celebrate World Quantum Day and the UN-declared International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
• The event will convene global leaders from government, academia, and industry to discuss advancements in quantum technologies and their societal impact, with speakers including officials from Quantinuum, QuSecure, and the World Economic Forum.
• Highlights include the announcement of winners from the “UpLink Quantum for Society” challenge and a focus on Saudi Arabia’s national strategy to integrate quantum technologies into its future economy.

PRESS RELEASE — The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Saudi Aramco, is set to host “DiscoveringQuantum Possibilities” on Monday, 14 April 2025, at The Garage, in celebration of World Quantum Day (WQD) 2025.

With 2025 designated as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) by the United Nations to mark a century of quantum advancements, the event will convene leaders from the public, private, and academic sectors to explore the latest advancements in quantum technologies and their impact on key industries and society.

The date of the event, April 14, represents the first three digits of Planck’s constant (4.14), a constant value in physics used in many fields, especially in quantum mechanics. It expresses the minimum amount of energy that a photon (a particle of light) or any other type of quantum particle can carry, and this date was chosen as the annual date for the event.

The event will feature the participation of a distinguished lineup of global leaders, including the Senior VP of KACST for the Research and Development Sector, Dr. Talal Al-Sedairy, and the VP of KACST for the Economies of the Future Sector, Dr. Mariam Nouh, who will share insights on Saudi Arabia’s vision for the future of quantum technologies, in addition to the participation of the Head of Network and Partnerships at the World Economic Forum, Dr. Sebastian Buckup. The list of speakers at the event also includes the Quantum Valley Lead at “Saudi Aramco” & Chairman of the Saudi Quantum Computing Association, Eng. Muhammad AlSaiyari; CEO of the National Technology Development Program, Professor Ibrahim Niaz; CEO of Quantum Computing at Cambridge and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Product Officer for Quantinuum, Mr. Ilyas Khan; and Founder and Chief Product Officer of “QuSecure,” Ms. Rebecca Krauthammer.

In this context, Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director of C4IR Saudi Arabia, explained the C4IR commitment to fostering innovation and contributing to shaping forward-thinking policies to ensure that the Kingdom fully benefits from the potential of quantum technologies, indicating the pivotal role of quantum technologies in shaping and developing the future of industries, governance and security. She said, “World Quantum Day represents an important moment for global experts to engage, promote regulatory developments, and raise awareness of the transformative potential of quantum sciences to shape a comprehensive and sustainable future.”

The event will feature the announcement of the winners of the “UpLink Quantum for Society” challenge, an initiative in collaboration between C4IR Saudi Arabia and the “UpLink” platform of the World Economic Forum, to highlight quantum-based solutions provided by entrepreneurs and startups to address global challenges. To attend the event, you can register via the following link: www.c4irsaudiarabiaevents.com .

C4IR Saudi Arabia’s WQD 2025 celebration builds on the success of last year’s event when the centre hosted Saudi Arabia’s first World Quantum Day celebration, attracting over 300 in-person attendees, nine panels, nine exhibits, and more than 5,000 livestream views