ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday Saudi Arabia has offered free training in information technology and artificial intelligence for Pakistani youth, as Islamabad seeks to expand opportunities for skilled employment abroad.
The announcement came as Sharif addressed the Youth Laptop Scheme 2025 ceremony in Islamabad, where 100,000 laptops were distributed to students under a program that has run since 2011 at an estimated total cost of Rs40-50 billion ($142-178 million). He said his government aimed to link such initiatives with international training and employment prospects.
“I just came back from Saudi Arabia. They are spending billions of dollars on AI and information technology,” he told the gathering, adding that the Saudis shared information about the entire roadmap and infrastructure that they have established.
When the prime minister told his hosts his country did not have so many resources and could not spend so much, they asked him not to worry.
“Our setup in Saudi Arabia is free for the sons and daughters of Pakistan, God willing,” Sharif quoted them as saying. “You bring them [here], we will train them.”
The prime minister said he would try to send thousands of trained Pakistanis to Saudi Arabia to meet the Kingdom’s demand for skilled technicians as it prepares to host major global events, including Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close political and economic ties and have recently signed a joint defense pact and decided to launch an economic cooperation framework.
Saudi Arabia also remains the largest source of workers’ remittances to Pakistan.
