IBM and Aramco have announced plans to collaborate on advancing artificial intelligence, agentic AI, automation, material science, and other industrial technologies across Saudi Arabia, marking a new phase in a partnership that dates back nearly eight decades.
The announcement was unveiled at THINK Boston, IBM’s global flagship event, attended by IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna and Aramco Senior Vice President of Digital & Information Technology Sami Al Ajmi, alongside senior industry and academic leaders.
The planned collaboration aims to combine IBM’s enterprise technology platforms, consulting expertise, and research capabilities with Aramco’s vast industrial operations, deep data assets, and decades of energy sector experience.
The focus will be on building practical AI-driven solutions for complex, mission-critical industrial environments.
Sami Al Ajmi, Senior Vice President of Digital & Information Technology, Aramco said: “Technology and innovation are central to Aramco’s long-term strategy. This collaboration with IBM enables us to assess how industrial AI and other mutually-agreed domains can further enhance operational excellence and resilience, while reinforcing our leadership in Industrial AI—particularly in reliability, safety, and mission-critical environments.”
IBM echoed the strategic importance of the initiative. “Combining Innovation and advanced technology represents the next frontier in enterprise transformation,” said Saad Toma, General Manager, IBM Middle East and Africa.
"By collaborating with Aramco, we are exploring how emerging technologies are addressing some of the world’s most complex industrial challenges, while reinforcing our shared commitment to continuous investment in innovation.”
The two organizations have worked together since 1947, evolving through successive waves of computing and digital transformation—from early foundational systems to today’s advanced cloud and AI platforms.
The collaboration remains subject to final agreements, but both sides signal a shared intent to accelerate industrial AI adoption at scale across Saudi Arabia’s energy and industrial sectors.
