Islamabad, Feb 9: Pakistan’s information technology (IT) companies are strategically planning to expand their presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s growing IT and IT-enabled services market, with a focus on consortiums that will enable them to secure lucrative projects from both the government and private sectors. This collaborative approach will allow companies to leverage their expertise in handling large-scale, multi-dimensional projects, which they previously avoided due to their complexity.
A recent meeting chaired by Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Convenor of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Information Technology, discussed these strategies ahead of LEAP 2025, one of the region’s most prominent tech trade fairs. The decision is part of Pakistan’s broader efforts to tap into the Middle Eastern markets, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is increasingly seen as a key growth area for IT exports.
Over the past two years, nearly 100 Pakistani IT companies have set up operations in Saudi Arabia, both individually and through joint ventures. This expansion has already led to a doubling of IT exports, which reached $100 million in the fiscal year 2023-24. Muhammad Zohaib Khan expressed confidence that these companies are well-positioned to secure large contracts in the Saudi market in the near future.
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Pakistan’s IT sector is optimistic about further breakthroughs in Saudi Arabia, with senior figures such as Muhammad Umair Nizam, Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan IT Association (P@SHA), predicting substantial growth in exports. An exclusive summit of the Saudi Pakistan Business Forum is being organized to provide strategic direction to IT exporters, alongside Saudi investors. This summit is a collaborative effort between P@SHA, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.
The LEAP 2025 trade fair is expected to see increased participation from Pakistani IT companies, which will help deepen their market penetration in Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. More than 80 companies participated in previous LEAP conferences, with this number expected to grow further, fueled by government incentives and increasing interest in IT exports.
Saad Shah, an exporter with operations in Saudi Arabia, noted that the country’s industrial zones and commercial sectors are booming, creating significant opportunities for Pakistani companies in areas like enterprise solutions, automation, and artificial intelligence. He highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s legal reforms and the affordability of operational costs make it an attractive market for both mid-sized and large companies.
With IT exports already reaching $1.53 billion in the first half of the fiscal year 2024-25, Pakistan is on track to achieve $4 billion by the end of the year, marking a significant leap in its IT export potential.
