MCIT Concludes Qatar’s First Global Quantum Computing Hackathon Convening Experts Across the Quantum Value Chain

• Ecosystem collaboration brought together MCIT, MOD, HBKU, BCG, QuantX, eight global quantum providers, and industry partners.
• Outcomes focused on translating innovation into application, producing working demonstrations, trained talent, and next-step pilots aligned with Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has concluded The BIG Quantum Hackathon Qatar 2025 at the Minaretein Building, Education City, Doha, marking the culmination of Qatar’s first global quantum computing hackathon. The four-day program was designed to translate promising research into solutions that organizations in Qatar can test and deploy in alignment with Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030.

Organized by MCIT’s TASMU Innovation Lab, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), hosted by the strategic partner Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), delivered with knowledge partners Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and QuantX, and supported by Quantinuum, the hackathon progressed from the Technical Phase (Days 1–2) to the Business Phase (Days 3–4). Teams developed prototypes using live platforms from global providers and then collaborated with investors and consulting experts to assess the economic feasibility of their use cases and develop innovative business models that can turn concepts into an actionable path-to-pilot plans.

The hackathon resulted in the production of working demonstrations across domains, including chemistry, machine learning, optimization, finance, and numerical simulation; a trained cohort of students, engineers, and researchers; and reusable playbooks for problem framing, metrics and implementation.

Industry relevance and real-world application remained central throughout. Challenge owners from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Qatar Airways, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ooredoo, the National Cybersecurity Agency, Sidra Medicine and Qatar Development Bank, among others, engaged directly with teams to align solutions with operational realities, data access, workflow fit, governance and safeguards, ensuring that adoption can proceed with confidence and meet national standards.

The hackathon attracted exceptional global interest, receiving 474 applications from 64 countries. 40 participants formed 8 teams working on 8 priority use cases, supported by eight global technology partners, including Alice & Bob, AWS, IBM, Microsoft, Quandela, Quantinuum, Quobly, and Quantum Computing Inc. These platforms and mentors enabled rapid experimentation across diverse quantum architectures, including cat-qubits, superconducting photonic, silicon, and software stacks. This hands-on access to cutting-edge platforms empowered teams to develop solutions using the most advanced quantum technologies available globally.

Commenting on this initiative, Ms. Eman Al Kuwari the Director of Digital Innovation at MCIT said: “Through initiatives like The BIG Quantum Hackathon, organized by MCIT’s TASMU Innovation Lab, we are establishing structured pathways for exploring and responsibly adopting emerging technologies. By convening academia, industry, and global technology providers in a safe, collaborative setting with hands‑on access to leading platforms, we transform high‑value use cases into path‑to‑pilot plans for the country. This reinforces MCIT’s role as the national orchestrator for emerging technology development and demonstrates coordinated support for Qatar’s growing quantum ecosystem in alignment with the Digital Agenda 2030.”

Major General Zayed Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Commander of Qatar Amiri Signal Corps, from the Ministry of Defence commented, “At the Ministry of Defence, we are proud to sponsor Qatar’s first quantum hackathon, the event that has revealed exceptional levels of creativity and ambition among young innovators. The use cases developed by the participating teams reflect the ability of national talent to engage with emerging technologies and design impactful applications in the field of quantum computing. The Ministry of Defence reaffirms its commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance the country’s technological readiness and solidify Qatar’s position as a regional leader in this advanced field.”

Dr. Saif M. Al-Kuwari, Associate Professor, HBKU, and Director, Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2), added, “The BIG Quantum Hackathon brought together some of the brightest minds in the quantum community to demonstrate how emerging quantum solutions can drive the next wave of Qatar’s digital transformation. At HBKU, we are committed to building the innovation infrastructure that enables this future, advancing impact-driven research, nurturing specialized talent, and working with partners to accelerate the growth of a robust quantum ecosystem in the country and beyond.”

Juan Vazquez, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, said: “The BIG Quantum Hackathon has demonstrated what is possible when global expertise and local ambition come together with a shared purpose. Over the past four days, we have seen teams move beyond theoretical exploration to develop working demonstrations and concrete pathways that Qatar-based organizations can implement. This is exactly the kind of practical progress that accelerates national capability building and brings quantum computing closer to real economic and societal impact. At BCG, we are proud to contribute to an ecosystem that empowers talent, strengthens institutional readiness, and supports Qatar’s journey toward becoming a regional hub for deep tech and innovation.”

Dr. Elvira Shishenina the Co-Founder and President of QuantX added, “For four unforgettable days, Qatar became a true world capital of quantum – a place where diverse technologies met real industrial challenges and showed how each can shine when matched to the right application. Our hackers were exceptional: innovative, enthusiastic, and very engaging, giving us full confidence that the future of quantum is in great hands. We are deeply grateful to our co-organizers and all the partners for their courage and commitment in proposing the use cases, sharing the expertise, inspiring future talent, and helping reveal the immense potential quantum technologies will bring to the country.”

Zayn Hussain, the Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer at Quantinuum said, “Quantinuum is proud to support the Big Quantum Hackathon in Qatar, an event that highlights the incredible momentum and ambition of the country’s emerging quantum ecosystem. It is inspiring to see the next generation of talented innovators in Qatar step forward, ready to take the relay and push the boundaries of what is possible. Our commitment to helping build and nurture the quantum ecosystem in Qatar is stronger than ever, and the diversity and real-world relevance of the challenges presented by industry national champions demonstrate just how quickly the landscape is evolving. We are grateful to the organizers – MCIT, MOD, HBKU, QuantX, and BCG – for bringing together such a vibrant community of thinkers and builders. We look forward to future editions and to continuing this journey of innovation together.”

The hackathon concluded on November 18 with an official awards ceremony recognizing Technical and Business track finalists and winners. The event was attended by senior government officials and international experts in quantum computing, followed by a reception for networking and knowledge exchange.

By convening government, academia, and industry around real use cases and live platforms, MCIT and its partners have created a model for responsible innovation, delivering trained talent, working demonstrations, and a pipeline of pilots that Qatar-based organizations can implement. These results turn quantum computing from promise to practice, building sovereign capability and measurable public value, while strengthening Qatar’s position as a regional hub for emerging technologies and innovation.