Saudi Aramco, in partnership with Pasqal, has inaugurated the Kingdom’s first quantum computer and launched the Middle East’s first commercial Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform, marking a major milestone in Saudi Arabia’s technological advancement.
The new quantum computer, located at Aramco’s data center in Dhahran, provides customers with immediate low-latency access to quantum hardware through a secure cloud platform designed to address complex industrial challenges.
Aramco and Pasqal noted that the QCaaS platform enables remote cloud access for potential clients globally and is expected to accelerate the development of quantum applications across the energy, materials and industrial sectors.
Pasqal has been designing and manufacturing high-performance hardware and cloud-ready software since 2019 to address complex challenges in optimization, simulation and artificial intelligence. Its Quantum Processing Unit (QPU), powered by neutral-atom technology and controlling 200 programmable qubits, was first used in November 2025.
The inauguration formalizes the system’s entry into active operation across a growing portfolio of industrial use cases and allows enterprises to explore and develop quantum-enhanced solutions for real-world industrial challenges.
Under the partnership, Aramco will develop a roadmap of use cases on a production-ready QPU aimed at accelerating quantum-hybrid solutions across energy, materials and industrial operations. Research institutions, universities and enterprises may also access Pasqal’s cloud platform, providing regional users with access to one of the few quantum computers currently available worldwide.
Ahmad O. Al Khowaiter EVP – Technology & Innovation, Aramco
“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 that, “Aramco is not just keeping pace with the future of 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 specialized 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.”
Aramco’s domestic venture capital arm, Wa’ed Ventures, first invested in Pasqal in January 2023 as part of efforts to localize advanced quantum technologies and support the development of the regional quantum ecosystem. The companies stated that they have established a structured quantum program targeting operational challenges across multiple workstreams where quantum-hybrid approaches can deliver capabilities beyond classical computing.
