A partnership between Ooredoo Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the Ministry of Defence has established the country’s first quantum-safe communications link, using quantum encryption technology designed to detect interception attempts and protect critical infrastructure from future cyber threats.

Ooredoo Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and the Ministry of Defence have established Qatar’s first quantum-safe communications link, marking a milestone in the country’s efforts to develop next-generation cybersecurity infrastructure.

The project, which the partners said is among the first of its kind in the region, uses Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology to generate and distribute encryption keys using the principles of quantum mechanics, allowing any attempt to intercept communications to be detected immediately.

The quantum-safe link was deployed across Ooredoo Qatar’s operational telecommunications network and developed through collaboration between the telecom operator, Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Center for Quantum Computing and the Ministry of Defence, with support from quantum cybersecurity company ID Quantique.

In a statement on Sunday, the partners said the achievement comes amid growing concerns over increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and the emergence of so-called “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, in which encrypted data is collected today in anticipation that future quantum computers will be able to break existing encryption methods.

Thani Ali Al-Malki, Chief Strategy and Digital Transformation Officer at Ooredoo Qatar, said the project demonstrated the deployment of quantum-safe technologies within operational telecom networks and would help support the next generation of digital infrastructure.

The successful deployment lays the groundwork for expanding quantum-safe connectivity to additional sites and critical sectors, including government services and the financial industry, according to the partners.