Aramco and Pasqal launch Saudi Arabia's first quantum computer

Aramco and French quantum company Pasqal said on Monday they have inaugurated Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer in Dhahran and launched what they describe as the Middle East’s first commercial quantum computing-as-a-service platform.

The companies said the system is hosted in Aramco’s data center in Dhahran and uses a 200-qubit neutral-atom quantum processor. They said the machine was initially deployed in November 2025 and is now in active operation.

The launch gives Saudi Arabia a public foothold in a technology race that is still early globally, but increasingly tied to industrial applications. Aramco said the platform is intended to support use cases across energy, materials and industrial operations.

The announcement was published on May 18 and was confirmed in statements from both companies, with additional syndication through newswire and Reuters-linked coverage.

The companies did not say in the launch materials whether customers outside Aramco are already using the platform, or which specific industrial applications will reach production first.