[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":91},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-\u002Fnews\u002Fsaudi-ncs-pqc-update-pending":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"authorTitle":7,"authorUrl":8,"body":9,"canonical":8,"category":43,"date":44,"description":45,"draft":46,"extension":47,"faqs":48,"findingsSource":8,"geo":58,"image":60,"industries":61,"keyFindings":8,"meta":64,"modified":65,"navigation":66,"path":67,"pullquote":8,"recommendations":8,"references":68,"related":72,"seo":79,"seoTitle":80,"signposts":8,"slug":81,"stats":8,"stem":82,"tags":83,"tldr":89,"__hash__":90},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fsaudi-ncs-pqc-update-pending.md","Saudi National Cryptographic Standards Do Not Yet Accept Post-Quantum Algorithms","ArcQubit Team","",null,{"type":10,"value":11,"toc":39},"minimark",[12,17,24,27,30,33],[13,14,16],"h2",{"id":15},"saudi-national-cryptographic-standards-do-not-yet-accept-post-quantum-algorithms","Saudi national cryptographic standards do not yet accept post-quantum algorithms",[18,19,20],"p",{},[21,22,23],"strong",{},"1 DECEMBER 2025, RIYADH",[18,25,26],{},"Saudi Arabia's National Cryptographic Standards, in the NCS-1:2020 version, do not yet accept post-quantum algorithms. An updated version, NCS-2:2025, went to consultation in December 2025, but it had not reached final status as of early 2026. Until the authority finalises the update, the accepted set of algorithms under Saudi standards stays the same.",[18,28,29],{},"The pending status matters for organizations that follow the standards. While NCS-2:2025 remains in consultation, the 2020 standards stay in effect, so an organization cannot yet rely on Saudi standards to sanction post-quantum algorithms. Tracking the update tells an organization when that will change and which algorithms the final version will accept.",[18,31,32],{},"The situation does not force organizations to wait on everything, though. Cryptographic discovery and migration planning are independent of which specific algorithms a final standard accepts. An organization can map where it uses cryptography and plan its transition now, so that it can adopt post-quantum algorithms promptly once the updated standard permits them.",[18,34,35,38],{},[21,36,37],{},"Why it matters."," Saudi Arabia's standards sit at a transition point: the current standards do not yet accept post-quantum algorithms, but an update is working through consultation. Organizations following the standards should watch NCS-2:2025 closely to know when the accepted set changes. In the meantime, they can do the discovery and planning that any migration needs, so they are positioned to move as soon as the final standard opens the door to post-quantum cryptography.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":40,"depth":40,"links":41},2,[42],{"id":15,"depth":40,"text":16},"Policy","2025-12-01","Saudi Arabia's National Cryptographic Standards do not yet accept post-quantum algorithms; an update consulted in December 2025 was not yet final.",false,"md",[49,52,55],{"q":50,"a":51},"Do Saudi standards accept post-quantum algorithms?","Not yet. The National Cryptographic Standards NCS-1:2020 do not accept post-quantum algorithms. An updated version, NCS-2:2025, went to consultation in December 2025 but was not final as of early 2026, so the accepted set had not yet changed.",{"q":53,"a":54},"What is the status of the NCS-2:2025 update?","NCS-2:2025 was out for consultation in December 2025 and had not been finalised. Until it is final, the 2020 standards remain in effect, so organizations following Saudi standards should track the update to know when post-quantum algorithms become accepted.",{"q":56,"a":57},"What should Saudi organizations do while the update is pending?","Organizations can begin cryptographic discovery and planning now, since those steps are independent of which algorithms the final standard accepts. That way they are ready to adopt post-quantum algorithms as soon as the updated standard permits them.",[59],"riyadh","\u002Fassets\u002Fog-default.png",[62,63],"Government Facilities","Information Technology",{},"2026-09-11",true,"\u002Fnews\u002Fsaudi-ncs-pqc-update-pending",[69],{"label":70,"url":71},"National Cybersecurity Authority, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, \"National Cryptographic Standards NCS-1:2020 and NCS-2:2025 (consultation),\" 2020 and Dec. 2025.","https:\u002F\u002Fnca.gov.sa\u002Fen",[73,76],{"label":74,"url":75},"UAE Launches a National Cryptography Discovery Platform","\u002Fnews\u002Fuae-national-cryptography-discovery-platform",{"label":77,"url":78},"NIST Approves First Three Post-Quantum Standards","\u002Fnews\u002Fnist-approves-first-three-post-quantum-standards",{"title":5,"description":45},"Saudi NCS Does Not Yet Accept PQ Algorithms","saudi-ncs-pqc-update-pending","news\u002Fsaudi-ncs-pqc-update-pending",[84,85,86,87,88],"post-quantum cryptography","federal compliance","quantum readiness","PQC migration","for government","Saudi Arabia's National Cryptographic Standards do not yet accept post-quantum algorithms, and an update consulted in December 2025 was not final as of early 2026.","0i9WTpFcq9tXtH72ZSAeNI2uxOEnVx_gVbAn6JCs2p4",1792182886095]