Thani Al-Malki: Developing future-ready communication
Doha - QNA: Ooredoo Qatar announced the establishment of the first secure quantum communication link in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the Ministry of Defence, as part of a joint national achievement.
Ooredoo Qatar confirmed in a statement today that this achievement, the first of its kind in the region, which solidifies Qatar's position at the forefront of secure quantum communications, represents an important milestone in the country's journey toward the next generation of cybersecurity.
It added that through Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology, the project provides a secure, integrated, and end-to-end operational quantum link, producing and distributing encryption keys using quantum mechanics principles. Unlike traditional encryption, this approach offers a new level of security and detects any attempt to intercept communication immediately.
The project was implemented within the operational network of Ooredoo Qatar, based on advanced research led by Hamad Bin Khalifa University in cooperation with ID Quantique, one of the world's leading companies in quantum-safe cybersecurity, to develop a test environment for QKD technology compatible with existing telecommunications infrastructure.
Thani Ali Al-Malki, Chief Strategy and Digital Transformation Officer at Ooredoo Qatar, affirmed that this achievement reflects the strength of cooperation in developing secure and future-ready communication in Qatar. By enabling the deployment of secure quantum mechanics technologies within operational networks, it will support the development of cybersecurity capabilities that will form the foundations of the next generation of digital infrastructure.
Mohamed Al-Zaidan, Director of Core and Active Network at Ooredoo Qatar, said that the project was implemented using the advanced dark fiber infrastructure of Ooredoo. He added that engineering teams successfully verified the generation and distribution of secure keys over multiple distances of fiber optic links, representing an important step towards networks protected by unbreakable encryption systems. He expressed the company's pride in announcing the successful implementation of the project in cooperation with the Qatar Center for Quantum Computing at Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the Ministry of Defence for QKD technology.
Dr. Saif Al-Kuwari, Director of the Qatar Center for Quantum Computing at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said that the center's commitment to cooperation with government entities, academia, and the private sector makes it an ideal partner for this initiative. He added that cooperation with Ooredoo Qatar and the Ministry of Defence accelerated the development of quantum capabilities in Qatar, and partners worked to find technologies that can be applied locally and globally.
Major General Zayed bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Commander of the Emiri Signal and Information Technology Corps, said that this achievement is the fruit of joint cooperation and an ambitious vision towards building an advanced and secure digital infrastructure that contributes to supporting cybersecurity and enhancing digital resilience for the State of Qatar through secure communication technologies that keep pace with developments and anticipate future challenges.
This achievement, amid increasingly complex cyber threats, represents an important step in enhancing Qatar's digital resilience. It reflects the strength of local cooperation between the telecommunications, research, and defence sectors. Ooredoo Qatar enabled the deployment of the technology within a vital communications environment, highlighting the practical integration and readiness of quantum-protected network capabilities, while Hamad Bin Khalifa University led scientific development and system integration, contributing to strengthening local expertise in quantum technologies. The Ministry of Defence supported this initiative as a strategic stakeholder, emphasizing the importance of secure communications for national priorities.
