Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called on Pakistan to send millions of skilled workers from its Information Technology (IT) sector to support the kingdom’s rapidly growing technological infrastructure, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed on Monday, 5th November 2024.
The Crown Prince expressed a keen interest in recruiting skilled Pakistani IT talent to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s growing tech sector. This action is indicative of the kingdom’s dedication to diversifying its economy and decreasing its dependence on oil.
Briefing his cabinet after his recent visits to Riyadh and Doha, PM Shehbaz informed his cabinet that both the Saudi government and Qatar wanted workforce education and particularly IT investment cooperation with Pakistan.
The prime minister emphasized that his discussions with the leadership of both countries focused on potential partnerships in solar energy, mining, minerals, and IT.
During his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi leader pointed to a high demand for IT professionals in Saudi Arabia and urged Pakistan to send IT specialists to fill the gap.
Saudi delegations also explored collaboration opportunities in other sectors such as solar energy, mining, agriculture and information technology. A Pakistani delegation is expected to visit Saudi Arabia soon for further talks on these initiatives.
Meanwhile, in Qatar, PM Shehbaz held productive talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who reiterated Qatar’s commitment to strengthening economic ties with Pakistan. Qatar plans to expedite a previously promised $3 billion investment, with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) preparing to send a team to Pakistan this month to explore opportunities in IT and mining.
Also, the Qatari Emir has disclosed the development of an IT park in Pakistan which will further enhance the relations between both countries in the IT sector.
The current government in Pakistan is exerting efforts to encourage these partnerships and to introduce the IT sector in the country. With its human talent and cooperation with Gulf states, Pakistan wants to become a technological hub in the region.
