Aramco, one of the world’s leading energy and chemicals companies, in partnership with Pasqal, a global leader in neutral-atom quantum computing, recently inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer.
Aramco and Pasqal also unveiled the first commercial Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform in the Middle East, opening a new chapter in building regional expertise and accelerating the development of quantum applications across the energy, materials and industrial sectors.
Marking a major milestone in the region’s technological advancement, QCaaS enables remote cloud access for potential clients around the globe. Located at Aramco’s data center in Dhahran, the computer provides customers with immediate, low-latency access to quantum hardware through a secure cloud platform to address complex industrial challenges.
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 optimisation. 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.”
Wasiq Bokhari, Pasqal CEO, said: “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.”
Pasqal has been designing and building high-performance hardware and cloud-ready software since 2019, to address complex challenges in optimisation, simulation, and artificial intelligence. Following its initial deployment in November 2025, the Pasqal Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) is powered by neutral-atom technology and controls 200 programmable qubits. The inauguration formalises its entry into active operation across a growing portfolio of industrial use cases and enables enterprises to explore and develop quantum-enhanced solutions for real-world industrial challenges.
Under the terms of the partnership, Aramco will progress a roadmap of use cases on a production-ready QPU as a foundational customer, accelerating development of quantum-hybrid solutions for its programmes across energy, materials and industrial operations. Other external organisations, including research institutions, universities, and enterprises, can use Pasqal’s cloud platform to access one of the few quantum computers in the world.
Aramco’s domestic venture capital arm, Wa’ed Ventures, initially invested in Pasqal in January 2023, reinforcing efforts to localise advanced quantum technologies and accelerate the development of the regional quantum ecosystem. Since then, Aramco and Pasqal have built a structured quantum program targeting high-value operational challenges across multiple workstreams, where quantum-hybrid approaches unlock capabilities beyond classical computing. These Aramco workstreams include port logistics optimization, CO₂ storage optimisation, well placement, rig scheduling, building the Kingdom’s quantum workforce, and making quantum computing available throughout the region.
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