Decision to establish a launchpad for Pakistani IT companies in Riyadh.

KARACHI: Saudi Arabia has decided to hire Pakistani companies in the IT industry, under which a launching pad for Pakistani companies and a resource pool of IT experts will also be established in Saudi Arabia reap long-term benefits.

According to Express News, Pakistan has developed a joint product development strategy instead of IT export to benefit from Saudi Arabia's rapid development based on information technology.

This strategy will help Pakistan to reap benefits on a long-term basis from the opportunities created in information technology under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

Under this strategy, a launch pad for IT companies in partnership with the private sector will be established at the Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh, along with a resource pool of skilled manpower in the IT sector in Pakistan.

After attending the DCO meeting in Riyadh, Pakistani Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Amir Khurram Rathore, spoke to "Express" on the occasion of Technology Convention LEAP, and talked about the prospects for Pakistan in Saudi Arabia's development vision 2030. And shed light on Pakistan's strategy.

He said that in terms of Saudi Arabia's Development Vision 2030, there has been a rapid change in Saudi Arabia in the last five years. IT has a 60 percent role in Saudi Arabia's development projects, which has also created ample opportunities for Pakistan.

He said that Saudi Arabia has the investment, marketing and resources to buy IT products from any country in the world, but Pakistan has the best workforce comprising IT skills and talented youth. Saudi Arabia has always supported us, we are trying to play our part in their development together with them, this is a golden opportunity for us as well which will benefit the IT sector of Pakistan.

Khurram Rathore said that our strategy is based on joint product development instead of IT export. Under this strategy, discussions have been held between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia at all levels, even at the level of the Prime Minister. Instead of selling IT products, develop IT products together with them.

He said that in order to implement cooperation in the field of IT with Saudi Arabia, a resource augmentation center will be established in Pakistan which will consist of skilled and talented manpower, IT professionals and talented youth. The pool will cater to the needs on a project basis, equipped with the expertise of Pakistan's IT sector, the IT pool members will be able to work while sitting in Pakistan.

Khurram Rathore said that the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh will play a focal role for cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the IT sector on a long-term basis. will play the role of a resource center on the pattern of

He said that the Ministry of IT was proposed by the Embassy to the Ministry of IT a year ago at the Embassy of Riyadh for Pakistani companies, in which the Embassy will bear the running costs of providing space and the running costs of the Launchpad, while the Federal Ministry of Information The technology only has to bear the cost of setting up this launchpad once.

In view of the current situation in the country, now the private sector of Pakistan has offered its support for the establishment of this launchpad and now this launchpad has been established in collaboration with the Pakistan Software House Association and private IT companies of Pakistan. It will be possible to provide a focal point, guidance, and facilitation to companies wishing to collaborate in IT with Saudi Arabia through a coven window.

On the digital cooperation organization for Pakistan, he said that the pilot project of digital FDI of DCO has also taken place in Pakistan and Pakistan is also involved in improving the regulations and rules related to digital FDI of the member countries of DCO. will lead this initiative but the detailed rules are yet to be made which will be announced by the DCO.

He said that by discussing the laws and regulations with the member countries of DCO, Pakistan will have deeper roots in the IT sector in these countries and the chances of cooperation will increase.

He said that in order to increase the role of Pakistan on the platform of DCO, in the second General Assembly session, along with Nadara, Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) has also been appointed as an observer in DCO. which will help ensure representation of Pakistan's private sector on this platform.

Khurram Rathore further said that in the rules of business of the second meeting of the DCO General Assembly, it was also decided that the ambassadors of the member countries in Riyadh will be given the status of future delegates in the DCO, after this development, Riyadh The Embassy of Pakistan will act as a focal person in DCO to promote DCO projects.