KARACHI: Pakistan has spotlighted its rapid digital transformation at GITEX Global 2025 exhibition in Dubai, unveiling a 20 percent year-on-year surge in IT exports as it positions itself as a rising tech hub on the global stage.
Pakistan has set up a National Pavilion that features 10 startups and more than 26 tech firms, highlighting the country’s expanding digital potential. Launched by IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, it aims to promote business networking, global partnerships, and foreign investment in Pakistan’s tech sector.
The five-day exhibition, running from October 13 to 17, features over 6,500 companies from more than 180 countries and attracts about 200,000 tech professionals along with thousands of expert speakers on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, digital transformation and sustainable technologies.
Speaking to attendees at the exhibition, Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator on commerce, said Pakistan ranks among the top five freelance economies worldwide and possesses one of the largest youth-driven digital talent pools, with nearly two-thirds of its population under 30.
“Our tech professionals are delivering cutting-edge digital solutions to clients across the globe,” he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) on Thursday. “Pakistan’s IT exports have grown at an average annual rate of 20 percent over the past five years, reaching USD3.8 billion in FY 2024–25.”
Khan said this achievement reflects Pakistan’s evolution into a competitive and innovative digital economy. This year’s participation marks a collaborative initiative between the Pakistani commerce and IT ministries.
The PM’s aide underscored that Pakistan would host the PIXS Expo 2026, an international technology exhibition of its kind, in Lahore next year.
“Our message to the world is clear: Pakistan is open for innovation, open for investment, and open for collaboration,” he said, inviting international investors and partners to explore opportunities in the country’s thriving tech ecosystem.
He also urged Pakistani exhibitors to act as the country’s “digital ambassadors,” building partnerships to showcase Pakistan’s technological capabilities.
