Integrated photonics and quantum hardware manufacturer Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT) has executed a three-year commercial and academic Framework Agreement with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar. Operating through HBKU’s Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2), the strategic initiative covers joint research, workforce training, and regional technology deployment across quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications.
Under the terms of the agreement, QCi will provide remote cloud access to its Dirac-3 Entropy Quantum Computer alongside an on-premises hardware installation in Qatar. The room-temperature, photonics-based Dirac-3 platform utilizes non-equilibrium open-system dynamics to solve dense discrete optimization problems, bypassing the cryogenic overhead associated with superconducting or trapped-ion architectures. HBKU will integrate the platform into its existing quantum infrastructure—which includes Qatar’s first national quantum-safe QKD communication link—to benchmark optimization algorithms for energy, logistics, and government applications across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
| [ QCi & HBKU Joint Quantum Deployment Specifications ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Pillar | Hardware & Software Infrastructure | Operational Scope & Deliverables |
| Optimization Processing | • Dirac-3 Entropy Quantum Computer • Cloud API & On-Premises Qatar Installation | • Dense Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) • Industrial Logistics & Financial Risk Workloads |
| Quantum Security & Sensing | • HBKU Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2) • Room-Temperature Photonic Chips & QKD Links | • Metro Quantum Key Distribution Deployment • Joint R&D for Enterprise Quantum-Safe Networks |
| Ecosystem Development | • HBKU Executive Education & Research Labs • Joint Industry Project Incubator | • Academic Degree Modules & Executive Training • Co-Developed Regional Commercial Use Cases |
The collaboration supports QCi’s commercial footprint in the Middle East while leveraging HBKU’s position under the Qatar Foundation to accelerate regional technology adoption. The contract expands QCi’s external hardware deployments following commercial engagements for its Dirac-3 platform across biomedical, defense, and industrial logistics domains.
Review the official press release via Quantum Computing Inc. here, examine platform specifications for the QCi Dirac-3 Entropy Quantum Computer here, inspect partner initiatives at QCi’s Dirac-3 Deployment with Sanders TDI here, and explore company scaling milestones in our analysis of QCi’s Acquisition of Luminar Semiconductor here.
September 15, 2026
