diff --git a/mlir/lib/IR/AsmPrinter.cpp b/mlir/lib/IR/AsmPrinter.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/IR/AsmPrinter.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/IR/AsmPrinter.cpp
@@ -3101,7 +3101,11 @@
     }
 
     void buildString(StringRef key, StringRef data) final {
-      printFn(key, [&](raw_ostream &os) { os << "\"" << data << "\""; });
+      printFn(key, [&](raw_ostream &os) {
+        os << "\"";
+        llvm::printEscapedString(data, os);
+        os << "\"";
+      });
     }
 
     void buildBlob(StringRef key, ArrayRef<char> data,
diff --git a/mlir/test/IR/pretty-resources-print.mlir b/mlir/test/IR/pretty-resources-print.mlir
--- a/mlir/test/IR/pretty-resources-print.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/IR/pretty-resources-print.mlir
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 // CHECK-NEXT:   external_resources: {
 // CHECK-NEXT:     external: {
 // CHECK-NEXT:       bool: true,
-// CHECK-NEXT:       string: "string"
+// CHECK-NEXT:       string: "\22string\22"
 // CHECK-NEXT:     },
 // CHECK-NEXT:     other_stuff: {
 // CHECK-NEXT:       bool: true
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     external: {
       blob: "0x08000000010000000000000002000000000000000300000000000000",
       bool: true,
-      string: "string"
+      string: "\"string\"" // with escape characters
     },
     other_stuff: {
       bool: true