Saudi Arabia has officially entered the quantum computing era.
In a landmark move for the Kingdom’s technology ambitions, Aramco and Pasqal have inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer and launched the Middle East’s first commercial Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform.
The system, housed at Aramco’s data center in Dhahran, gives researchers, enterprises and industrial operators around the world secure cloud-based access to advanced quantum hardware designed to tackle some of the toughest industrial and energy-sector challenges.
The launch marks a major leap in the Kingdom’s drive to position itself as a global technology and innovation hub under Saudi Vision 2030.
Powered by Pasqal’s neutral-atom quantum technology, the Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) operates with 200 programmable qubits and is designed to solve high-complexity problems in optimization, simulation and artificial intelligence — areas where traditional computing struggles to keep pace.
The platform is expected to accelerate breakthroughs across energy, materials science, logistics and industrial operations, while also helping build a regional quantum ecosystem.
Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation, said: “This quantum milestone belongs to our Saudi researchers, engineers and scientists.
"By investing in joint training and research, we are building world-class quantum expertise right here in the Kingdom—an expertise that will power the next generation of energy solutions, accelerate lower-carbon fuel development, and enhance reservoir and supply-chain optimization.
"Let this achievement be the catalyst for an innovation-driven economy, creating high-impact, future-ready jobs for our youth and advancing Saudi Vision 2030.”
Pasqal CEO Wasiq Bokhari said the project signals a turning point for industrial quantum computing.
"Aramco is not just waiting for quantum computing, it is helping to shape it as a global leader. This inauguration is evidence that the most demanding industrial challenges in the world are now being tackled with Pasqal's quantum processors, software and specific solutions.
"For Pasqal, deploying our system for use in Aramco's business-critical operations, while also being available to the region's enterprises and research community, is a part of our core mission: to enable practical and secure quantum computing at scale today."
The partnership goes beyond infrastructure.
Under the agreement, Aramco will act as a foundational customer, developing quantum-hybrid applications across energy, materials and industrial programs. Early focus areas include port logistics optimization, CO₂ storage, well placement, rig scheduling and broader industrial efficiency.
External organizations — including universities, research institutions and enterprises — will also be able to access the system through Pasqal’s cloud platform, making it one of the few commercially available quantum computers globally.
The initiative builds on a strategic investment made by Aramco’s venture arm, Wa’ed Ventures, in Pasqal in 2023, part of a wider push to localize advanced technologies and establish Saudi Arabia as a regional quantum computing powerhouse.
