ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top IT bodies have teamed up to host a Pakistan x Saudi Business Forum networking event ahead of the LEAP Tech Conference being held in Riyadh from Feb. 9-12, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said in a press release on Thursday.
This is the fourth edition of LEAP, recognized as Saudi Arabia’s award-winning global technology event for which entrepreneurs, investors and startups will converge in Riyadh to present their products to an anticipated audience of over 170,000 visitors. The platform offers cutting-edge technology showcases, B2B networking opportunities and expert-led conferences.
While Pakistan recorded the highest-ever monthly IT exports of $348 million, up by 15 percent year-on-year and 12 percent month-on-month, in December 2024, its IT sector growth is overshadowed by concerns over slowing Internet speed and a government-led digital crackdown, which authorities deny.
“P@SHA and Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) will be collaboratively hosting an exclusive networking dinner, Pakistan x Saudi Business Forum, curated to connect leaders from the top tiers of government and industry,” P@SHA said in a press release on Thursday.
The event will provide a platform for “for key stakeholders to foster collaboration, explore business opportunities and strengthen ties within the vibrant Saudi market” and showcase Pakistan’s “diverse and thriving IT services exports, covering areas such as software development, AI, blockchain, health, FinTech, gaming and robotics.”
LEAP 2025 will for the first time introduce Tech Arena, a new platform for emerging innovations that will feature a ‘Live TV’ platform, offering real-time demonstrations and discussions hosted by BBC Click’s Lara Lewington and Spencer Kelly. Visitors will engage with innovations in AI, mixed reality, fashion technology, and brain-computer interfaces.
A key highlight will be Anouk Wipprecht’s Tech Couture exhibit, where robotic dress collections will integrate engineering with fashion. Adobe’s ‘Project Primrose’ will present digital dress technology, introducing dynamic textiles with adaptive designs.
The Tech Arena will also showcase medical technology advancements, including Aramco-backed Terra Drone’s long-range medical delivery system, which aims to improve health care access in remote areas. Aramco will also introduce SARA (Saudi Aramco Robotics Assistant), an AI-driven assistant designed to enhance decision-making and streamline operations.
US-based Engine VR will present its Golden Gloves VR platform, which uses virtual reality for immersive boxing training. UFC fighter Andrew Sanchez will conduct live demonstrations, giving attendees the opportunity to experience the platform.
Alwaleed Philanthropies will present Atlai, an AI tool designed to monitor deforestation and support global conservation efforts. XPANCEO will showcase smart contact lenses that integrate computing power into a lightweight wearable device, offering new ways to interact with digital information.
The Tech Arena is one of two new segments introduced at LEAP 2025, alongside the SportsTech stage. These additions support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals of fostering innovation and technological growth.
Pakistan’s top IT bodies to host business forum event ahead of LEAP 2025 in Riyadh
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Pakistan’s top IT bodies to host business forum event ahead of LEAP 2025 in Riyadh
- P@SHA and PSEB will host networking dinner showcasing Pakistan’s tech innovations
- This is fourth edition of LEAP, recognized as Saudi Arabia’s award-winning global tech event
Police rescue 11 abducted bus passengers after gunbattle in Pakistan’s katcha region
- The passengers were seized when gunmen intercepted a bus traveling on a key highway linking Punjab to Balochistan
- Authorities deployed armored vehicles, surveillance drones as dense fog complicated the rescue operation in the area
KARACHI: Pakistani police on Tuesday rescued 11 bus passengers who were abducted by an organized criminal gang, known locally as katcha dacoits, from near the border separating the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, officials said.
The passengers were seized on Monday night when gunmen intercepted the bus traveling on the Ghotki–Guddu–Kashmore Link Road, a strategic highway in the country’s south. The bus was en route from Sadiqabad in Punjab province to the Balochistan capital, Quetta.
The abduction occurred in the marshy area of Ghotki, a riverine territory known as the katcha region along the Indus River, long regarded as a sanctuary for heavily armed criminal gangs.
“After a police encounter with the bandits, 11 abducted passengers have been recovered,” Ghotki district police chief Anwar Khetran told media.
He added an exchange of fire erupted near Sonmiani village during the large-scale police operation. Two of the rescued passengers sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
It was not known how many passengers were aboard the bus when dacoits abducted it.
Authorities said a heavy police contingent using armored vehicles and surveillance drones was deployed and that the operation would continue until all perpetrators were captured or killed. However, Khetran noted that dense fog was hampering visibility.
The incident is the latest in a string of high-profile abductions targeting travelers in the difficult-to-govern katcha areas of Upper Sindh, particularly in the Ghotki, Kashmore and Shikarpur districts.
Despite periodic crackdowns involving police and paramilitary forces, criminal gangs operating in the rugged terrain have persisted, posing a continuing challenge to law and order.
