ISLAMABAD: Pakistani information technology (IT) service providers, startups and exporters expect to generate up to $500 million investment by showcasing their tech potential at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2024, scheduled to be held in Dubai on October 14-18, industry stakeholders and officials said on Thursday.
The annual GITEX Global exhibition is considered one of the world’s largest tech shows that connects industry leaders with major tech and innovation startups as well as government officials, expert investors and corporate buyers.
Sajjad Mustafa Syed, chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), said Pakistan had been declared 2024 event’s “Tech Destination of the Year” following the participation of Pakistani IT firms in the previous GITEX editions.
“There will be representation of IT sector of 180 countries, more than 200,000 sizeable trade buyers of IT services, 65,000 top-level IT executives from world over and 7,000 multinational companies of IT and allied industries [in this month’s GITEX Global tech show],” he said in a statement.
“We are expecting to generate leads of up to $500 million for the country.”
Prominent Pakistani exhibitors and delegates that will be participating in the exhibition include Quixas Technology Pvt Ltd, Wateen Solutions, AutoSoft Dynamics, KODERLABS, Dynamics 360, Creation Next and Bits Collision, according to P@SHA Secretary-General Nadeem Malik.
Pakistan’s State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the development highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to innovation, technology and global collaboration.
“We look forward to showcasing Pakistan’s brilliant tech talent and tremendous potential on this prestigious platform,” she was quoted as saying by P@SHA.
Muhammad Umair Nizam, senior vice chairman of P@SHA, stressed that innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusion were the keys to rapid growth in IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) industry and the Pakistani IT industry was having a number of “firsts and pluses.”
“[It is the] only major industry in Pakistan having a trade surplus and that too with a margin of 77 percent,” he said. “[The Pakistani IT industry] has the capability to earn foreign exchange to the tune of $5 billion in FY25 [Fiscal Year 2024-25].”
Nizam said the IT industry could bridge Pakistan’s overall trade deficit and stabilize the economy through exponential growth, curtailed volatility in rupee-dollar parity, building foreign exchange reserves and creating employment opportunities.
Pakistani IT firms eye up to $500 million investment at major tech show in Dubai this month
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Pakistani IT firms eye up to $500 million investment at major tech show in Dubai this month
- The annual GITEX Global exhibition is considered one of the world’s largest tech shows that connects industry leaders with major tech and innovation startups
- Pakistan declared 2024 event’s ‘Tech Destination of the Year’ after participation of Pakistani IT firms in previous GITEX editions, says industry representative
Pakistani immigration agents express concern over US visa ban
- Trump’s administration is suspending immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries
- The pause will begin on January 21, a State Department spokesperson said this week
Pakistani immigration agents and members of the public expressed concern to US immigration ban on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
“It is a matter of concern,” said travel and immigration agent, Mohammad Yaseen, in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.
“All these people who were waiting for a long time for their visas to be issued, they also had an appointment date, their visas would be suspended. They will be affected by this news and this ban,” he added.
A local resident and banker, Amar Ali, said the ban will economically dent Pakistan because many Pakistanis earn and send dollars back home which boosts its economy.
Another local resident, Anwer Farooqui, urged President Trump to reconsider this decision and keep Pakistan, which is a very reliable friend of the United States, at the same level.
The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.
The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.
