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IBM and Aramco announced on May 5, 2026, plans to explore a collaboration on artificial intelligence and innovation in Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector, IBM said in a statement. The initiative builds on their partnership since 1947 and aims to combine IBM’s AI technologies with Aramco’s operational expertise for mission-critical energy systems. It was revealed at the THINK Boston event attended by IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna and Aramco Senior Vice President Sami Al Ajmi.
In an announcement on its newsroom, IBM said the two organizations would examine opportunities in agentic AI, automation, material science and other mutually agreed domains within the industrial sector. The companies intend to create practical high-impact solutions that draw on IBM’s enterprise-grade platforms, consulting expertise and research capabilities together with Aramco’s extensive data assets and 90 years of energy-specific knowledge. Sami Al Ajmi 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.”
Saad Toma, IBM general manager for the Middle East and Africa, added in the statement that combining innovation and advanced technology represents the next frontier in enterprise transformation. The planned work will explore applications of AI, hybrid cloud and advanced technologies across industrial and energy systems to address complex large-scale challenges. The statement noted that any definitive agreements remain subject to further negotiations between the parties.
Aramco and IBM have maintained a relationship since 1947 that has progressed through successive waves of technology from foundational systems to contemporary digital platforms. The IBM release described the alignment around innovation, operational excellence and solving complex challenges as a foundation for the current exploratory collaboration. Senior executives from both firms participated in the Boston event to outline the intended partnership.
IMARC Group data places the Saudi Arabian artificial intelligence market at 1.24 billion U.S. dollars in 2025 with a projection to reach 4.37 billion by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate of 15 percent. A PwC assessment found that AI could contribute 135 billion dollars to the Saudi economy by 2030, supporting diversification objectives under Vision 2030. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority oversees national efforts to establish the Kingdom as a global leader in the field by 2030.
Mordor Intelligence figures show the global artificial intelligence market in oil and gas valued at 4.28 billion dollars in 2026 and forecast to expand to 7.91 billion by 2031 with a 13 percent compound annual growth rate. GMI Research reported that Saudi Arabia plans to invest 20 billion dollars in artificial intelligence by 2030 to train specialists and foster startups as part of its digital transformation drive. These regional benchmarks align with Aramco’s existing initiatives in specialized AI models for energy applications.
The collaboration announcement coincides with broader adoption of AI across Saudi energy operations to improve efficiency in areas such as predictive maintenance and reservoir modeling. IBM’s statement emphasized the complementary strengths each party brings to industrial AI use cases in demanding environments. The exploratory phase will assess potential value creation before any scaled implementation proceeds.
