Pakistan to boost IT exports to Saudi Arabia, targets $100 million in next few months

KARACHI: Pakistan is all set to boost its IT and IT-enabled services exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a target of increasing exports from $50 million to $100 million in the next few months.

This comes after the government of Saudi Arabia announced a massive $100 billion project for Artificial Intelligence and data infrastructure in November 2024, inviting companies from around the world to invest and participate.

As per Muhammad Umair Nizam, Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association, Pakistan’s IT companies and the government are collaborating to prioritize their export strategy, including looking for non-traditional and emerging markets, which now include Saudi Arabia.

According to the State Bank of Pakistan, IT exports from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia already recorded 62% growth year-on-year, with export receipts registering a 1% growth from last month.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Pakistani Software Export Board, and P@SHA are collaboratively working to strengthen the export profile of Pakistani IT firms through Joint Ventures and Consortiums.

In the last year, several local IT companies attended a major tech trade show in KSA; this year, there has been a spike of about 20-25% in many companies attending the LEAP 2025 event in Riyadh with more than 1,000 Pakistani delegates being expected.

The P@SHA SVC expects multiple business deals and MoUs to be signed at LEAP this year, which will substantially impact the export growth of the country. The ministry has also established a help desk to facilitate Pakistani companies for quick and easy registrations in Saudi Arabia, which has already led to the registration of over 100 Pakistani tech entities in the KSA market.

Pakistan’s membership in the Digital Cooperation Organisation headquartered in Riyadh is expected to enhance IT exports to the region. Saad Shah, an IT industry exporter in KSA, declares that Pakistani companies should look at the emerging Saudi market, as setting up companies is easier than before.

He indicates that Pakistani companies could explore enterprise solutions, AI, cloud computing, and data centers to secure projects from multinational, private, and public sector entities.

The LEAP 2025 program is expected to be an excellent opportunity for IT companies to raise their export revenue not only in KSA but for the entire Gulf Cooperation Council region.

With more than 1,800 tech brands and an expected turnout of over 170,000 visitors at LEAP this year, the event is set to be a game-changer for Pakistan’s IT sector.