Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to accelerate efforts to expand their bilateral digital corridor by laying new submarine cables and strengthening terrestrial connectivity networks. The agreement came during talks on the sidelines of the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Pakistan's IT minister announced on Monday.
High-Level Meeting in Geneva
The discussions took place during a high-level meeting between Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja and her Saudi counterpart, Abdullah Alswaha. The two ministers discussed expanding regional connectivity and fostering cross-border private-sector partnerships.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share longstanding ties that have traditionally centered on defense cooperation, diplomacy, labor and financial support. The meeting in Geneva comes as the two countries expand their strategic partnership into new areas, including technology and digital infrastructure.
Shared Experiences and Mutual Learning
We discussed how we can mutually add value to each other's tech ecosystems and also spoke on our shared experiences, Khawaja told Arab News over the phone from Geneva. When it comes to digital connectivity, Saudi Arabia has come a long way, and they had similar challenges that we are facing now, she added. So, we discussed how we can learn from their experiences and their policies. And on the other hand, how can we share the experiences gained from our side's policies with them.
Saudi Vision 2030 and Pakistan's IT Growth
Saudi Arabia has made technology a key pillar of its Vision 2030, the Kingdom's strategy to transform its national economy by reducing dependence on oil, prompting its leadership to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital government and smart infrastructure.
Pakistan seeks to scale its own information technology sector, with IT exports reaching $4.2 billion in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year, reflecting a 20 percent year-on-year increase.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Private Sector Collaboration
Khawaja noted that the infrastructure upgrades would involve multiple layers of connectivity to secure data pathways. We spoke about advancing our digital corridor, specifically how we need to create submarine routes, terrestrial connections and alternate routes between us, she said. Lastly, the collaboration between our private sectors was also discussed.
Earlier, the minister emphasized the geopolitical significance and forward-looking potential of the alliance in a social media post after a formal session at the technology conference. Met my brother, Saudi Arabia's Minister of IT, Abdullah Alswaha, at the AIforGood Summit in Geneva, she wrote on X. Insha'Allah, just as technology is strengthening its position at the center of the world, our cooperation is also growing stronger.
