IBM and Aramco Explore Collaboration to Accelerate AI and Innovation Across Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aramco (2222.SE) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced their intended collaboration on opportunities to advance artificial intelligence, agentic AI, automation, material science and other mutually agreed domains in the industrial sector.  The collaboration builds on a longstanding relationship and strong alignment around innovation, operational excellence, and solving complex, large-scale challenges.

The announcement was made at THINK Boston, IBM's global flagship event, in the presence of Arvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, Sami Al Ajmi, Senior Vice President of Digital & Information Technology at Aramco, along with senior executives and other distinguished guests from industry, the public sector, and academia.

The collaboration will focus on exploring the creation of practical, high-impact solutions, combining IBM's enterprise-grade technology platforms, consulting industry expertise and research innovation capabilities with Aramco's vast scale of industrial operations, extensive data assets, and energy-specific expertise and knowledge built over 90 years. Together, the organizations will explore applications of AI, hybrid cloud, and advanced technologies across industrial and energy systems, including industrial AI use cases in mission-critical environments. These efforts aim to leverage the organizations' complementary strengths to unlock greater value and accelerate innovation at scale.

Sami Al Ajmi, Senior Vice President of Digital & Information Technology, Aramco said: "Technology and innovation are central to Aramco's long-term strategy. This collaboration with IBM enables us to assess how industrial AI and other mutually-agreed domains can further enhance operational excellence and resilience, while reinforcing our leadership in Industrial AI—particularly in reliability, safety, and mission-critical environments."

"Combining Innovation and advanced technology represents the next frontier in enterprise transformation," said, Saad Toma, General Manager, IBM Middle East and Africa. "By collaborating with Aramco, we are exploring how emerging technologies are addressing some of the world's most complex industrial challenges, while reinforcing our shared commitment to continuous investment in innovation."

Aramco and IBM have been working together since 1947, building a deep and evolving partnership. Over decades, the relationship has spanned successive waves of technology—from foundational systems to modern digital platforms—driven by a shared focus on innovation, investment, and delivering impact at scale.

The planned collaboration is subject to the parties reaching definitive agreements.

Statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media contact:

Nadine Hafez
IBM
nhafez@eg.ibm.com 

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2972998/IBM_at_Think_2026.jpg 
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2319830/5952560/IBM_LOGO_1.jpg