Pasqal and KACST sign multi-year collaboration on quantum‑safe cryptography in Saudi Arabia

【Article Title】 Pasqal and KACST sign multi-year collaboration on quantum‑safe cryptography in Saudi Arabia 【Article Body】 AI TRANSLATION This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Japanese article. For the authoritative version, please refer to the original. Read the original Japanese article → (https://quantumindex.jp/pasqal-kacst-quantum-safe-cryptography-collaboration/) Pasqal, which develops neutral‑atom quantum computers, and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed a multi‑year research collaboration focused on advanced quantum technologies. The initial priority area is quantum‑safe cryptography, with the partners aiming to develop, validate and—after testing and packaging—commercialize solutions for the Saudi market. ✍️ Quantum Index Analysis We explain the technical and commercial implications behind the announcement and highlight evaluation points that aren’t obvious from numbers or headlines alone. Read our analysis ↓ Announcement overview The agreement involves the National Center for Quantum Technologies (NCQT), which operates under KACST, and research will be conducted at that center. Pasqal’s neutral‑atom quantum processing technology and cloud services will be combined with KACST’s research infrastructure to advance the development and validation of quantum‑safe cryptography solutions. Both parties share the common goal of testing, packaging and ultimately commercially deploying the developed solutions in the Saudi market. However, they have not disclosed which cryptographic schemes will be targeted, the performance targets, the duration of the research, investment amounts, or the timeline for commercial availability. This agreement is part of Pasqal’s broader business expansion in Saudi Arabia. In May 2026 the company opened a quantum computer and a commercial Quantum Computing‑as‑a‑Service (QCaaS) platform at a data center in Dhahran together with Aramco. Pasqal has also announced plans with Eleven Ventures to establish a joint venture to deploy and commercialize quantum computing systems in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. Key points • NCQT, a center under KACST, and Pasqal have signed a multi‑year research collaboration on advanced quantum technologies. • Pasqal’s neutral‑atom quantum processing technology and cloud services will be integrated with KACST’s research infrastructure. • The initial focus is quantum‑safe cryptography, with work covering solution development, validation, testing and packaging. • While the partners aim to commercially offer research results in Saudi Arabia, details on schemes, performance and timing remain undisclosed. Technical and business significance On the technical side, the significance lies in creating a framework that connects neutral‑atom quantum computing and cloud services to cryptographic research, enabling development and validation of quantum‑safe cryptography on KACST’s research infrastructure. However, the announcement does not specify which steps in the workflow the quantum processing technology will perform, so it is not yet possible to assess the technical effectiveness. From a business perspective, the move extends Pasqal’s activities in Saudi Arabia from hardware and cloud infrastructure deployment to collaborations with local research institutions and exploration of commercial solutions. Commercialization is stated as a goal, but does not mean products or customer deployments have been finalized. What to watch next Key upcoming milestones will be whether the partners disclose the cryptographic schemes under study and the specific role Pasqal’s quantum processing will play. Publication of test conditions and validation results, plus a roadmap for the multi‑year program and timing for commercial offers, would make it easier to judge progress toward practical use. It will also be important to see how packaged results are offered and whether concrete adoption cases inside Saudi Arabia emerge. ✍️ Quantum Index Analysis This announcement is useful not only for the specific topic of quantum‑safe cryptography, but also as evidence of how Pasqal is expanding its business footprint in Saudi Arabia. In addition to opening a quantum computer and QCaaS platform with Aramco, Pasqal has planned a joint venture with Eleven Ventures to deploy and commercialize systems (https://en.quantumindex.jp/pasqal-eleven-ventures-saudi-arabia-joint-venture/). Adding research and development with KACST shows activity across multiple local layers—computing infrastructure, deployment capabilities and application development. That said, whether these initiatives will translate into real customer demand and sustained revenue is a separate question. In particular, for the quantum‑safe cryptography project the targeted schemes, the role of Pasqal’s quantum processing and the performance targets are unspecified, so the technical value cannot yet be assessed. Commercial offering remains a future objective. Going forward, it will be important to see whether KACST’s facilities and partnerships evolve beyond a collection of individual projects and whether the outputs produced are actually delivered to customers in Saudi Arabia—linking research, computing infrastructure and go‑to‑market capabilities into concrete deals. NETWORKSee Pasqal’s industry network → (/qi-network/) Related articles • Pasqal and Eleven Ventures plan joint venture to deploy quantum systems in Saudi Arabia (https://en.quantumindex.jp/pasqal-eleven-ventures-saudi-arabia-joint-venture/) • Pasqal opens quantum computer production site to Saudi government delegation soon after multi‑system deployment plan (https://en.quantumindex.jp/pasqal-saudi-delegation-quantum-computer-production/) • QuEra and Zapata Quantum partner to jointly validate applications for fault‑tolerant quantum computing (https://en.quantumindex.jp/quera-zapata-quantum-application-partnership/) Source Read the original announcement (https://www.pasqal.com/newsroom/pasqal-and-kacst-launch-strategic-quantum-research-collaboration-as-pasqal-expands-presence-in-saudi-arabia/) If you found this article useful, please consider sharing it. ──────────────────── 【AI Evaluation Request】 Evaluate the following article critically, not based on the quality of its writing, but on its **original informational value as a specialist publication**. Do not give a high rating to summaries, paraphrases, explanations of technical terms, or generic observations such as "this will be worth watching" or "the timeline remains uncertain" if they could easily be produced by a general-purpose generative AI, even if they are well written. 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Pasqal, which develops neutral‑atom quantum computers, and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed a multi‑year research collaboration focused on advanced quantum technologies. The initial priority area is quantum‑safe cryptography, with the partners aiming to develop, validate and—after testing and packaging—commercialize solutions for the Saudi market.

Announcement overview

The agreement involves the National Center for Quantum Technologies (NCQT), which operates under KACST, and research will be conducted at that center. Pasqal’s neutral‑atom quantum processing technology and cloud services will be combined with KACST’s research infrastructure to advance the development and validation of quantum‑safe cryptography solutions. Both parties share the common goal of testing, packaging and ultimately commercially deploying the developed solutions in the Saudi market. However, they have not disclosed which cryptographic schemes will be targeted, the performance targets, the duration of the research, investment amounts, or the timeline for commercial availability. This agreement is part of Pasqal’s broader business expansion in Saudi Arabia. In May 2026 the company opened a quantum computer and a commercial Quantum Computing‑as‑a‑Service (QCaaS) platform at a data center in Dhahran together with Aramco. Pasqal has also announced plans with Eleven Ventures to establish a joint venture to deploy and commercialize quantum computing systems in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

Key points

• NCQT, a center under KACST, and Pasqal have signed a multi‑year research collaboration on advanced quantum technologies.
• Pasqal’s neutral‑atom quantum processing technology and cloud services will be integrated with KACST’s research infrastructure.
• The initial focus is quantum‑safe cryptography, with work covering solution development, validation, testing and packaging.
• While the partners aim to commercially offer research results in Saudi Arabia, details on schemes, performance and timing remain undisclosed.

Technical and business significance

On the technical side, the significance lies in creating a framework that connects neutral‑atom quantum computing and cloud services to cryptographic research, enabling development and validation of quantum‑safe cryptography on KACST’s research infrastructure. However, the announcement does not specify which steps in the workflow the quantum processing technology will perform, so it is not yet possible to assess the technical effectiveness.

From a business perspective, the move extends Pasqal’s activities in Saudi Arabia from hardware and cloud infrastructure deployment to collaborations with local research institutions and exploration of commercial solutions. Commercialization is stated as a goal, but does not mean products or customer deployments have been finalized.

What to watch next

Key upcoming milestones will be whether the partners disclose the cryptographic schemes under study and the specific role Pasqal’s quantum processing will play. Publication of test conditions and validation results, plus a roadmap for the multi‑year program and timing for commercial offers, would make it easier to judge progress toward practical use. It will also be important to see how packaged results are offered and whether concrete adoption cases inside Saudi Arabia emerge.

✍️ Quantum Index Analysis

This announcement is useful not only for the specific topic of quantum‑safe cryptography, but also as evidence of how Pasqal is expanding its business footprint in Saudi Arabia. In addition to opening a quantum computer and QCaaS platform with Aramco, Pasqal has planned a joint venture with Eleven Ventures to deploy and commercialize systems. Adding research and development with KACST shows activity across multiple local layers—computing infrastructure, deployment capabilities and application development.

That said, whether these initiatives will translate into real customer demand and sustained revenue is a separate question. In particular, for the quantum‑safe cryptography project the targeted schemes, the role of Pasqal’s quantum processing and the performance targets are unspecified, so the technical value cannot yet be assessed. Commercial offering remains a future objective.

Going forward, it will be important to see whether KACST’s facilities and partnerships evolve beyond a collection of individual projects and whether the outputs produced are actually delivered to customers in Saudi Arabia—linking research, computing infrastructure and go‑to‑market capabilities into concrete deals.

NETWORKSee Pasqal’s industry network →

Related articles

• Pasqal and Eleven Ventures plan joint venture to deploy quantum systems in Saudi Arabia
• Pasqal opens quantum computer production site to Saudi government delegation soon after multi‑system deployment plan
• QuEra and Zapata Quantum partner to jointly validate applications for fault‑tolerant quantum computing

Source

Read the original announcement