Jeddah: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) unveiled “Shaheen III,” the most powerful supercomputer in the Middle East, designed by U.S.-based Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

According to the latest TOP500 rankings of the most powerful supercomputers worldwide, announced during the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC25) held in St. Louis, Missouri, from November 16 to 21, “Shaheen III” achieved a high position, ranking first in the Middle East and eighteenth globally.

In October 2025, KAUST completed the receipt and transfer of ownership of the “Shaheen III” graphics processing units (GPUs) from HPE, fully in compliance with the export license conditions issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

The achievement reflects the Kingdom’s growing capabilities in advancing scientific excellence on a global scale. With the GPU section scheduled to become operational in early 2026, KAUST faculty will be able to conduct world-class research aligned with the priorities of the Kingdom’s research, development, and innovation ecosystem.