Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to modernize its financial system, placing tokenization at the center of a broader economic transformation strategy tied to Vision 2030. The country’s sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which oversees assets valued at close to $1 trillion, approved a five-year roadmap in April covering the period from 2026 to 2030.
A major focus of the plan involves converting sovereign and high-value strategic holdings into tokenized formats as part of a wider push to diversify the economy.
Earlier this year, Open World introduced Saudi Arabia’s first officially licensed Real World Asset (RWA) Tokenization Center of Excellence in Al Khobar. Established in January, the facility is designed to support the digitization of sectors including energy systems, property markets, and carbon credits.
The initiative follows local regulatory frameworks and national data governance rules, while pilot programs are expected to begin in the middle of 2026. In a statement released during the launch, Open World said the project closely supports Saudi Arabia’s long-term objective of strengthening the financial sector and reducing reliance on traditional oil revenues.
Officials view digital finance as an increasingly important pillar in building a more resilient and diversified economy. Momentum within the Kingdom’s blockchain sector has accelerated rapidly.
Over 4,000 blockchain-related commercial entities registered in Saudi Arabia during 2025, marking an annual increase of 51%. At the same time, the country has seen crypto adoption rise sharply, with an estimated three million active digital asset investors. Between July 2023 and June 2024, crypto transaction volumes in Saudi Arabia reached approximately $48 billion.
Speaking at an event in March 2026, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan emphasized the fund’s long-term perspective, noting that investment performance is measured across decades rather than short-term cycles. Saudi Arabia’s digital economy reached SAR 495 billion ($132.25 billion) in 2025, accounting for roughly 15% of national GDP.
Saudi Arabia’s push into tokenized assets comes as the global market for RWAs continues to gain traction. Digital versions of U.S. Treasury products still represent the largest segment by overall market size, while tokenized stocks have emerged as one of the fastest-expanding areas. Gulf nations are increasingly positioning themselves as major players in this evolving financial landscape.
Regional activity has also intensified outside Saudi Arabia. In Abu Dhabi, regulated digital asset firm KAIO secured $8 million in backing from Tether to expand blockchain-based investment infrastructure, reinforcing the Gulf region’s growing role in tokenized finance. By contrast, China has taken a far stricter position, prohibiting RWA tokenization entirely, highlighting a widening divide in global policy approaches.
Crypto and the blockchain industry in general appears to be accelerating in its penetration of different markets, and leading companies like Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN) will be following this trend closely.
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