Towards Quantum-Accelerated Urban Systems: Integrating Quantum Computing into Saudi Smart City Megaprojects

Quantum Computing (QC), rooted in the principles of superposition and entanglement, enables transformative computational capabilities that surpass classical systems, particularly in solving NP-hard combinatorial optimization, simulation, and machine learning problems. These capabilities are increasingly vital for smart cities, which depend on real-time data from the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) to orchestrate complex urban systems such as traffic, energy, logistics, and public safety. As global urbanization accelerates, the demand for hyper-efficient, secure, and adaptive infrastructure exceeds the limits of classical computation. This study employs a multi-pronged methodology that combines literature synthesis, algorithmic mapping, and strategic roadmap design. This study investigates the strategic alignment between QC and the computational demands of next-generation urban environments, with a specific focus on Saudi Arabia’s greenfield megaprojects, including NEOM, The Line, and the Red Sea Project, within the Saudi Vision 2030 framework. The analysis systematically maps urban computational challenges to applicable quantum algorithm families—Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), and Quantum Machine Learning (QML)—and synthesizes the technical, organizational, financial, ethical, and regulatory prerequisites for national deployment. The core contribution is the development of a conceptual Hybrid Quantum-Classical Architecture (HQCA) and a methodologically grounded three-phase deployment roadmap, tailored to the Saudi context, mapping quantum technical readiness to policy and infrastructure milestones in Saudi Arabia. This framework positions Saudi Arabia to pioneer quantum-accelerated urban systems, enabling resilient infrastructure, sovereign digital capabilities, and global leadership in the emerging Quantum City paradigm.

@article{Alreshidi2025,
  title     = {Towards Quantum-Accelerated Urban Systems: Integrating Quantum Computing into Saudi Smart City Megaprojects},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {12},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Eissa Alreshidi},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0161239},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0161239}
}