CyberQ, which took place from 26 to 27 November 2025 in Abu Dhabi, brought together global leaders in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology. Hosted by the UAE Cybersecurity Council and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the event focused on how emerging technologies are reshaping digital security and what organizations must do now to prepare for future threats.
QuantumGate participated in discussions spanning national policy, technology, and practical transition planning. Below are some of the key takeaways that stood out for security leaders navigating post-quantum readiness.
A New National Direction: Moving from Strategy to Implementation
One of the most significant developments announced at the sidelines of CyberQ was the approval of the UAE’s National Encryption Policy and its executive regulation. The policy requires government entities to develop clear, formally approved transition plans from traditional encryption methods to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), signaling a decisive move from awareness to execution. The UAE Cybersecurity Council will oversee migration efforts, working with entities to assess cryptographic exposure, identify systems most at risk, and guide phased, risk-based transition planning aligned with international best practices.
During the event, the UAE Cybersecurity Council also announced an expanded collaboration with QuantumGate to focus on large-scale implementation across critical sectors.
The collaboration spans three national programs:
- The National Information Assurance Program
- The National Cybersecurity Index Platform
- The National Post-Quantum Migration Program
Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen baseline security requirements, improve national visibility and readiness tracking, and support organizations in identifying vulnerable cryptographic assets and prioritising migration pathways. Read more here .
QuantumGate and CPX Partner to Strengthen National Post-Quantum Readiness
QuantumGate and cybersecurity firm CPX announced a new partnership aimed at advancing post-quantum readiness across national cybersecurity programs. The collaboration supports the UAE’s transition to PQC under the National Information Assurance Program and the National Cybersecurity Index, reinforcing the country’s move from strategy into execution.
As part of the partnership, QuantumGate and CPX will work together to develop a Post- Quantum Cryptography Resilience Index, along with readiness scoring and supporting tools that give organizations clear visibility into their cryptographic posture. These capabilities are designed to support both organizational decision-making and national-level reporting, helping entities understand where risk exists and how prepared they are for future quantum threats.
Governance at the Core of Cyber Resilience
In his keynote, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, reinforced the core pillars of the national cybersecurity strategy:
- Govern
- Protect
- Partner
- Develop
- Innovate
H.E. Dr. Al-Kuwaiti also highlighted emerging cyber themes shaping the future, including quantum realities, AI-driven warfare, cyber sovereignty, and information integrity. He emphasized that 2025 marked a foundational phase for post-quantum readiness, focused on strategy, awareness, cryptographic inventory, and assessment. The objective is to deprecate non-quantum-safe algorithms by 2030, followed by sustained governance and continuous evolution beyond that point. Throughout his remarks, he underscored the importance of close collaboration between government and industry to turn national strategy into coordinated, large- scale execution.
Post-Quantum Readiness Is an Organizational Challenge
A recurring theme throughout CyberQ was that post-quantum migration is an organizational challenge that requires executive ownership, cross-functional alignment, and long-term planning.
This came through clearly during a panel on planning the transition, featuring experts from QuantumGate, Meta, SandboxAQ, and EvolutionQ. While awareness has increased following the publication of post-quantum standards, many organizations still often deprioritize post- quantum planning in favor of more immediate operational concerns. The growing risk of “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks was repeatedly cited as a key message helping leadership understand the urgency.
Panelists also highlighted persistent blind spots, including a lack of visibility into organizations’ cryptographic landscape. Inventory efforts are often attempted manually, which is slow, incomplete, and difficult to maintain, preventing teams from meaningfully assessing risk or prioritizing necessary changes.
Another common challenge is resistance driven by cost and performance concerns, particularly fears of degradation when adopting post-quantum algorithms. Speakers stressed the importance of approaching migration through risk-based prioritization and crypto agility, rather than one-time upgrades.
AI, Quantum, and the Future of Cyber Defence
CyberQ also featured a keynote on the state of quantum computing by Prof. John Martinis, CTO and co-founder of Qolab and 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate. He focused on the practical realities of building and scaling quantum hardware, underscoring that progress is incremental, complex, and uneven. Post-quantum preparation cannot hinge on a fixed date, as governance, inventory, and migration planning take years and must begin before quantum capabilities reach maturity.
In another keynote, Dr. Najwa Aaraj, CEO of TII, highlighted how advances in AI and quantum computing are also reshaping the cyber threat landscape. She spoke about the risks posed by quantum computing to widely used algorithms such as RSA, which underpin much of today’s digital trust. She also highlighted the opportunities created by new classes of AI, including agent-based systems capable of learning, reasoning, and executing security workflows autonomously. These capabilities are increasingly seen as a foundation for cyber readiness, enabling faster detection, automated response, and stronger governance across complex environments.
Looking Ahead
During CyberQ, it was clear that national policies, executive regulations, and large-scale implementation efforts are already taking shape. For organizations, the next phase is now about building visibility, setting priorities, and laying the foundations for a structured, long-term transition. The journey to quantum safety starts with understanding what needs to be protected today, so that systems remain secure tomorrow.