The National Cyber Security Center of the Kingdom of Bahrain and SandboxAQ, a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity and cryptographic management, have announced a landmark partnership aimed at establishing a nationwide cybersecurity modernisation framework.
The partnership marks one of the world’s first large-scale commitments to transitioning towards a quantum-safe economy. As a founding member of the UNICC AI Hub on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), SandboxAQ will support Bahrain in securing sovereign data, critical infrastructure and sensitive government and private-sector systems against rapidly evolving cyber, cryptographic and quantum computing threats.
The announcement comes as governments worldwide prepare for ‘Q-Day’, the point when cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) will be capable of breaking today’s widely used encryption. While experts now estimate CRQCs to be feasible by as early as 2029, the threat is already present through ‘harvest-now, decrypt-later’ attacks, where adversaries steal encrypted data today with plans to decrypt it once quantum capabilities mature. For governments, this includes classified communications, diplomatic cables, defence data, national identity records and decades of sensitive archives.
Under this partnership, the Kingdom of Bahrain will deploy SandboxAQ’s AQtive Guard platform, an AI-powered cybersecurity solution designed to enable the safe, large-scale deployment of AI agents and modernise defences for the post-quantum era. It provides complete visibility, assessment and remediation of critical vulnerabilities stemming from weak encryption and the rapid proliferation of AI agents and non-human identities (NHIs). The deployment will span more than 60 distinct ministry environments across the Kingdom, requiring SandboxAQ’s platform to manage cryptographic security at scale.
His Excellency Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, CEO of the National Cyber Security Center of Bahrain, commented: “This partnership with SandboxAQ marks a significant milestone in our mission to secure our sovereign data, intellectual property and other digital assets from both internal and external cyberthreats. SandboxAQ’s world-class technologies and expertise in AI-driven cybersecurity will help Bahrain protect its citizens, businesses and government agencies and lay the foundation for a new era of security and economic growth in the Kingdom.”
Mohammed Aboul-Magd, Vice President of Product, Cybersecurity at SandboxAQ, added: “Bahrain is taking a bold and much-needed step by not only setting policy, but by operationalising the technology required to secure the Kingdom against rapidly advancing threats. Our partnership establishes a dynamic framework that allows the country to adapt quickly as new vulnerabilities emerge, ensuring the nation stays ahead of attackers in a world where cryptographic risks evolve by the day. We are honoured to support Shaikh Salman and the Government of Bahrain in implementing this forward-looking programme, which sets a new benchmark for cyber resilience across the region.”
This initiative forms a core pillar of Bahrain’s long-term cybersecurity strategy and reinforces the Kingdom’s commitment to safeguarding national data, promoting economic resilience and accelerating secure Digital Transformation.
We asked His Excellency Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, CEO of the National Cyber Security Center of Bahrain, further questions to find out more about the project.
How does this partnership support Bahrain’s transition towards a quantum-safe economy?
This partnership accelerates Bahrain’s move to a quantum-safe economy by helping us modernise cryptography across government in a structured, national programme rather than isolated upgrades. It enables a phased transition to post-quantum cryptography, supported by full visibility of where cryptography is used, what needs to change, and how to prioritise the most critical services first. By building this capability now, we are protecting trust in digital services, safeguarding national data, and strengthening the foundations of Bahrain’s digital economy.
Why is it critical for the Bahrain government to act now against ‘harvest-now, decrypt-later’ threats?
Technological developments are evolving globally, and it is prudent for all governments to plan ahead for potential future cybersecurity challenges. Some actors may try to collect encrypted data now with the expectation that future advances in computing could make certain types of decryption more feasible. This could affect information that requires long-term protection, including government services and citizen data. Taking early, proactive measures reflects good governance and responsible stewardship of national digital assets, helping ensure continued trust, data protection and system resilience as technology continues to advance.
What risks do post-quantum cryptographic challenges pose to Bahrain’s national data and critical infrastructure?
Post-quantum cryptographic developments are widely recognised as a global challenge that governments and institutions around the world are preparing for. Over time, these changes may affect some of the cryptographic protections that secure government communications, digital identity systems, transactions and trusted digital services. For critical infrastructure, this could have implications for secure access, device authentication, software updates and the integrity of operational systems. These issues go beyond confidentiality to include integrity and trust, and if not addressed proactively, could affect service continuity, public confidence and the reliability of essential services.
How will deploying AQtive Guard across more than 60 ministries strengthen national cyber-resilience?
Deploying a unified platform across ministries creates a consistent national standard for cryptographic governance. It strengthens resilience by delivering visibility across environments, identifying weak or outdated cryptography, prioritising remediation and reducing fragmentation across agencies. Instead of each entity working in isolation, we gain a co-ordinated, risk-based approach enabling faster decision-making, measurable progress, and stronger assurance that critical government services remain secure as threats evolve.
What role does AI play in managing cryptographic risk at sovereign scale?
At the sovereign level, across government systems and critical infrastructure, the challenge lies in the scale and interdependence of essential digital services. AI can support this environment by improving visibility into cryptographic usage, identifying dependencies and helping prioritise modernisation efforts based on risk and criticality. It can also assist with continuous monitoring, early detection of weaknesses, and policy-informed decision support, enabling more co-ordinated and timely responses across agencies. In this way, AI helps shift cryptographic transition from a largely manual, fragmented process to a more structured, forward-looking capability that supports national resilience and service continuity.
How do you see Bahrain’s approach influencing regional and global cybersecurity strategies?
Bahrain is demonstrating that post-quantum readiness is not a future discussion but it’s a national resilience priority that can be operationalised today. By taking a co-ordinated, government-wide approach, we are providing a model for how countries can move from awareness to implementation: assess risk, build governance, deploy at scale and measure progress. We believe this will encourage regional peers and global partners to accelerate their own quantum-safe roadmaps, strengthen standards adoption and deepen cross-border collaboration on emerging cyber-risks.
