RIYADH: Saudi Arabia holds significant potential for quantum research, according to experts.

Celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, the Kingdom’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution hosted World Quantum Day for the second time at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh.

Ahmed Abdul Majeed, a recent physics graduate originally from Nigeria, told Arab News that Monday’s conference gave him the platform to further explore his passions in quantum science.

“During my third year as an undergraduate I grew this sudden interest in quantum … since then, everything about me revolves around quantum,” he said.

The first World Quantum Day was in 2021 as an effort to promote understanding of quantum science, which deals with miniscule particles smaller than atoms and has the potential to revolutionize computing power.

The KACST event hosted numerous industry experts including David E. Keyes, senior associate to the president for strategic projects at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

A longtime admirer of Keyes’ work, Abdul Majeed has been working with him for more than a year at the Quantum Computing Reading Group at KAUST, a group of academics and interested individuals that regularly gathers to discuss the latest developments in quantum computing and often invites companies abroad to join the conversation.

Operating for two years now, the reading group at KAUST is trying to introduce quantum science to more university courses in the Kingdom.

“I know Saudi is working towards (quantum research) and I believe they will achieve more than any other country,” Abdul Majeed said.

Richard Schoebel, regional director at ID Quantique, a Swiss company that develops quantum safe cybersecurity solutions, told Arab News that the Kingdom has made significant strides over the past couple of years in the field.

“We finally see there’s a lot of movement happening in the terms of quantum here in the region. When I look back a couple years ago … it was really very slow, but now you see it’s picking up pace … and it’s getting a lot of traction.”

Schoebel said that it is important to push quantum research forward because it is “the next big thing.”

Quantum computing is going to change the world as we know it, and together with AI it opens new possibilities, he said.

On the other hand, as quantum technology develops it has the potential to bypass traditional cybersecurity methods, making it essential to develop more secure practices.

With such a large number of young people in STEM fields with strong educational backgrounds, there is a lot of space for quantum to reach its full potential here, he said.

Abdul Majeed, having recently been accepted to undertake a graduate degree in quantum technology at the University of Sussex, told Arab News that he has big dreams of taking the education and experiences he gained back home and establishing a school to teach others, as well as creating his own start-up and partnering with other industry leaders.

“I want to do my PhD also; I really want to get to the peak of learning.”

Quoting Nobel Prize in Physics winner Richard Feynman, Abdul Majeed said: “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.”

World Quantum Day featured experts from 65 countries who spoke and discussed various topics in quantum science including global strategies for technology development, real-world applications of quantum solutions, bridging academia and industry, Quantum AI, and more.

RIYADH: Preparations for the 11th World Water Forum, which will be held in 2027, officially began today in Riyadh.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture held a ceremony attended by officials to kick off the preparations.

Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, Saudi minister of environment, water and agriculture, attended the event, as did Loic Fauchon, president of the World Water Council.

Fauchon revealed how the council and authorities in Saudi Arabia are preparing for the event and stressed the importance of tackling water scarcity.

Saudi Arabia called for international cooperation from governments and private organizations to address water challenges and mitigate the severity of water scarcity.

The Kingdom also emphasized the importance of achieving sustainable development goals by making water and sanitation services accessible for all.

A panel was set up to discuss global water priorities by a group of local and global experts, including Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, deputy minister for water, and Wu Wenqing, chief planner at the People’s Republic of China’s ministry of water resources.

“Water security is an urgent, global crisis … half of the world faces water scarcity every year,” Al-Shaibani said.

Al-Shaibani during his speech underscored the gap between water demand and water supply and called for an urgent global effort to address this issue.

He also highlighted how rising demand for water creates financial pressure on governments, eventually affecting the economy.

“Water infrastructure is essential. Some say water needs money, but money needs water, meaning the economy needs the water as an enabler for industries.

“Of course, water is a basic human right, as well as an economic enabler,” Al-Shaibani said.

The World Water Forum is organized by the World Water Council and partners with host countries.

The international conference provides a platform for countries to display sustainable practices and promote efforts to secure the management of water resources.