Saudi Arabia is pushing to tokenize its multi-trillion-dollar economy to protect national wealth from global crises.
Summary
- Saudi Arabia is advancing the tokenization of energy, real estate and capital markets under its Vision 2030.
- The kingdom’s digital economy will reach SAR 495 billion in 2025, equivalent to 15% of GDP, according to official data.
- PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said the fund measures returns in decades, not quarters, indicating a long-term commitment.
Vision 2030 drives on-chain asset strategy
The Saudi Public Investment Fund, which manages approximately $1 trillion in assets, approved its 2026-2030 strategy in April, with the tokenization of sovereign and strategic assets forming a central pillar of its economic diversification drive.
open world launched Saudi Arabia’s first licensed RWA Tokenization Center of Excellence in Al Khobar in January 2026, targeting energy infrastructure, real estate and carbon credit tokenization. The center operates under Saudi Arabia’s regulatory and data sovereignty requirements, with pilot projects scheduled for mid-2026.
“This initiative aligns perfectly with Vision 2030’s goal of developing our financial sector and diversifying our economy beyond traditional energy exports,” Open World said in its launch statement.
The kingdom recorded more than 4,000 blockchain business company registrations in 2025, a 51% year-on-year increase. Saudi Arabia is now home to approximately 3 million active crypto investors and recorded $48 billion in transactions between July 2023 and June 2024.
The tokenization push comes as global RWA markets expand rapidly. Tokenized US treasures stay the dominant RWA asset class by market cap, although tokenized stocks are now the fastest growing segment. The Middle East is positioning itself at the center of that expansion.
KAIO, a company regulated by Abu Dhabi increase $8 million from Tether to scale on-chain fund infrastructure, deepening Gulf participation in tokenized markets. Meanwhile, China forbidden The tokenization of RWA completely, sharpening the competitive contrast with Gulf states moving in the opposite direction.
PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said at an event in March 2026: “We measure our returns not in quarters but in decades, and the PIF remains committed to its investments around the world.” Saudi Arabia’s digital economy reached SAR 495 billion in 2025, representing 15% of GDP.
