Saudi Arabia Installs Its First Quantum Computer as Global Security Concerns Rise

Saudi Arabia has officially entered the global quantum computing race with the installation of its first quantum computer, intensifying discussions about future cybersecurity risks for Bitcoin and other blockchain networks. Saudi Aramco, the state-controlled energy and chemicals giant, revealed that a 200-qubit quantum machine from France-based Pasqal is now operational at its Dhahran data center. Designed for industrial use cases like energy modeling and advanced materials research, the system is the most powerful Pasqal has delivered to date.

Pasqal CEO Loïc Henriet called the deployment a historic milestone for the Middle East, marking the region’s growing investment in next-generation computing. The move places Saudi Arabia alongside major global powers—such as the U.S., China, Japan, the EU, India, and Canada—that are heavily funding quantum research to prepare for future fault-tolerant systems.

The news comes amid heightened concerns that rapidly advancing quantum technology could one day undermine the cryptographic foundations of blockchain networks. Experts warn that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could theoretically reveal private keys or forge digital signatures, enabling attackers to steal crypto assets or break privacy protocols. Still, researchers stress that such threats remain distant.

Quantum specialist Ian MacCormack notes that a 200-qubit machine is still too small and too noisy for the kind of error-corrected computing required to execute Shor’s Algorithm, the method believed capable of breaking RSA and ECC cryptography. Even massive experimental platforms, like Caltech’s recently unveiled 6,000-qubit neutral-atom system, are currently limited to research and simulation.

Scientists emphasize that defeating modern cryptography would require thousands of logical, error-corrected qubits—equivalent to millions of physical qubits—far beyond today’s capabilities. Although Google’s recent breakthrough with its 105-qubit Willow chip demonstrated a verified quantum advantage, it still poses no immediate risk to Bitcoin.

Still, the long-term concern remains. Experts warn of a potential “Q-Day,” when quantum computers may become powerful enough to compromise digital signatures that secure blockchain transactions and countless global systems. While that day is not imminent, researchers agree that progress in quantum computing is accelerating and deserves serious attention from the crypto and cybersecurity communities.