Shafaqna Pakistan: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will conduct joint workshops aimed at aligning Islamabad’s national IT strategy with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 development agenda, Pakistan’s IT minister said on Thursday, as both countries seek to expand cooperation in technology, investment and digital infrastructure.
The initiative was announced at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, where more than 50 Pakistani technology companies and 25 startups are taking part. Islamabad is using the four-day event, running from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, to explore greater access to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding technology market and investment opportunities. The conference has brought together global technology firms, startups, investors and policymakers.
Pakistan has increasingly viewed Saudi Arabia as both a major investment partner and an important market for its growing technology sector. Islamabad is seeking to boost IT exports, attract foreign investment and help Pakistani companies build stronger commercial links in the Gulf’s largest economy.
“Joint workshops to be held to align Pakistan’s national IT strategy with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said in an address at LEAP, according to a statement from her ministry.
“No country can progress alone or by remaining isolated … Global cooperation is indispensable for technological progress.”
Khawaja said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s relationship extended beyond trade and called for stronger international collaboration to advance technological development. She said Pakistan’s presence at LEAP represented a country of 240 million people and its expanding technology ecosystem.
Pakistan’s participation at LEAP includes companies showcasing products and services in artificial intelligence, automation and other digital technologies, with the government seeking business-to-business partnerships, international investment and greater access to overseas markets.
The workshops add a practical element to a series of technology talks between the two countries this week, including discussions on artificial intelligence, data governance, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital skills, technology exports and investment.
On the sidelines of LEAP, Khawaja met Saudi Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Alswaha this week, with the two countries agreeing to increase cooperation in cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity. They also discussed business-to-business partnerships, technology exports and investment and strengthening institutional cooperation on digital skills and advanced technology transfer.
Source: Dunya News
