KARACHI: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Friday discussed expanding cooperation in digital infrastructure and services during a meeting between Pakistan’s IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and officials of the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) in Riyadh, as both nations push to diversify their decades-long partnership.
The two countries have long enjoyed close ties, but in recent years have sought to broaden and deepen their cooperation further. During Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh in October 2024, they signed 34 memoranda of understanding worth $2.8 billion across multiple sectors.
Last month, they went a step further by signing a bilateral defense pact that treats aggression against one country as an attack on both, a move aimed at strengthening joint deterrence and cementing decades of military and security collaboration.
“Partnership with STC was discussed in the context of the Connect Pakistan 2030 policy,” the IT ministry said in a statement issued after the meeting, referring to a proposed five-year strategy to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
“The talks focused on cooperation in fiber networks, cloud, cybersecurity and fintech,” it added. “Pakistan’s $3.8 billion IT export market and 200 million mobile users were described as attractive for investment.”
STC is the largest telecom operator in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, playing a central role in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 digital agenda.
During the meeting, the two sides explored business and investment opportunities and discussed ways to strengthen Pakistan’s role as a regional transit hub, connecting the Gulf states with other countries.
They also examined potential partnerships in submarine cables and digital connectivity projects, underscoring Pakistan’s strategic importance in regional data corridors.
Beyond telecom, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are also seeking to deepen agricultural cooperation, with Pakistan’s food security minister telling Arab News this week that Prime Minister Sharif is expected to visit the Kingdom later this month, when key announcements on enhanced bilateral ties are likely to be made.
