Saudi Arabia moves to tokenize its multi-trillion economy

Saudi Arabia is pushing to tokenize its multi-trillion economy to protect national wealth from global shocks.

Vision 2030 drives on-chain asset strategy

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which manages roughly $1 trillion in assets, approved its 2026-2030 strategy in April, with 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 centre operates under Saudi regulatory and data sovereignty requirements, with pilot projects set for mid-2026.

“This initiative aligns perfectly with Vision 2030’s goal to develop our financial sector and diversify our economy beyond traditional energy exports,” Open World said in its launch statement.

The kingdom recorded more than 4,000 commercial blockchain company registrations in 2025, a 51% year-over-year increase. Saudi Arabia now hosts 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 Treasuries remain the dominant RWA asset class by market cap, though tokenized equities are now the fastest-growing segment. The Middle East is positioning itself at the centre of that expansion.

Abu Dhabi-regulated firm KAIO raised $8 million from Tether to scale on-chain fund infrastructure, deepening Gulf participation in tokenized markets. Meanwhile, China banned RWA tokenization entirely, sharpening the competitive contrast with Gulf states moving in the opposite direction.

PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said at a March 2026 event: “We measure our returns not in quarters but in decades, and PIF remains committed to its investments around the world.” Saudi Arabia’s digital economy reached SAR495 billion in 2025, representing 15% of GDP.