KARACHI: A United Arab Emirates-based multidisciplinary virtual assets investment consultancy company has collaborated with a Pakistani software house to import healthcare services for the Saudi market, informed the company’s top official earlier this week.
Headquartered in Dubai, PXDX deals in healthcare training and services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where it manages its operations.
“We started collaboration in Pakistan and we had a project and we will be getting cooperation with a local software house in Pakistan and we will be importing their services to Saudi Arabia,” Dr. Rehan Al Taji, the founding CEO of PXDX and Gabriel Jobs, KSA, told Arab News without divulging the name of the Pakistani business entity.
The conversation took place on the sidelines of the seventh edition of The Future Summit, a two-day event that brought together futurists, business experts, innovative thinkers and investors at a local hotel in Karachi on Nov. 15.
“We will not only be offering services to hospitals but also extend our services to other sectors. However, we will start with the healthcare sector,” he continued without sharing further details.
Taji, who said he was visiting Pakistan third time, said he was deeply impressed by the performance of Pakistani startups which he described as “smart and innovative.”
“We saw Pakistani startups coming as a second runner up after Saudi startup in previous events like LEAP [tech conference] in Riyadh a few months back,” he said. “They are great.”
The PXDX and Gabriel Jobs chief said there were huge opportunities for Pakistani startups under Vision 2030, a program introduced by the Saudi authorities to diversify the kingdom’s economy and reduce its dependency on oil.
“Pakistani startups can extend their business in Saudi Arabia because now they [the Saudi authorities] are allowing it. With the help of Saudi businesses, they can establish their own companies there which will be 100 percent in their name and under their own ownership,” Taji continued, adding the opportunities were getting more rampant and easier to tap for foreign investors in the kingdom.
Under Vision 2030, the Saudi government is trying to develop, among other things, public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism.
Speaking to Arab News, Dana Al Salem, a Kuwaiti global tech entrepreneur, investor and innovation expert said Vision 2030 had clear objectives.
“The countries that are attracting a lot of investors have a very clear purpose which they share with the world,” he said. “For example, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 [is] super clear.”
Al Salem, who participated as a speaker at the summit, said Pakistan needed to work on its image abroad.
“Changing people's perspectives on Pakistan is very important,” she maintained.
The Kuwaiti expert advised Pakistan to focus on the agriculture sector for addressing food shortage concerns that countries around the world are facing, saying the South Asian nation was blessed with water resources which can help it increase its overall yield.
UAE-based firm partners with Pakistani software house to provide healthcare services to Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/28j7s
UAE-based firm partners with Pakistani software house to provide healthcare services to Saudi Arabia
- The firm’s CEO says it will start with healthcare sector before expanding operations elsewhere in the kingdom
- A Middle Eastern investment expert asks Pakistan to improve its image abroad and focus more on agriculture
China backs Pakistan in fight against militancy after deadly Balochistan attacks
- China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in major infrastructure projects, including in Balochistan
- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says ‘we mourn for lives lost, and our hearts go out to injured and those who lost loved ones’
ISLAMABAD: China condemns the recent attacks that killed more than 200 people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, reaffirming Beijing’s support for Pakistan in its fight against militancy.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group launched coordinated attacks in several cities across Balochistan on Saturday, killing 33 civilians and 17 security personnel. Officials said 117 militants were killed in skirmishes and follow-up operations.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces, foreigners and non-local Pakistanis and kidnap government officials.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“China strongly condemns the [Balochistan] attacks... We mourn for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and will as always firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people.”
Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have often been targeted by militants, particularly in the southwestern Balochistan province, where China is developing a deep seaport that is touted as the crown jewel of CPEC.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges.
Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons. Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.
