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Aramco and Pasqal to Bring Saudi Arabia's First Quantum Computer

May 20, 2024 1 min read

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Paris-based quantum computer startup Pasqal has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco to install the first quantum computer in the country. The 200-qubit quantum computer is scheduled for deployment in the second half of 2025. Pasqal will be responsible for installing, maintaining, and operating the system, which will initially use an "analog mode" approach and later upgrade to a more advanced hybrid "analog-digital mode" within the following year.

The partnership aims to accelerate the commercial adoption of quantum technology in the Middle East and foster breakthroughs in quantum algorithm development. The companies plan to use the quantum computer to identify new use cases and establish a powerhouse for quantum research in Saudi Arabia. This move follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022 to collaborate on quantum computing applications in the energy sector. Pasqal has previously sold two quantum computers to France and Germany, and one of its founders, Alain Aspect, won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for his foundational experiments in quantum mechanics.

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