ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has opened talks with Qatar on creating a strategic technology partnership that would expand financing, incubation and investment opportunities for its startups, with IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja saying on Wednesday the Qatar Development Bank could play a central role in supporting Pakistan’s digital economy.

Pakistan has one of the world’s youngest tech workforces but faces significant barriers in early-stage funding, international market access and institutional support for digital skills. Meanwhile, Gulf economies including Qatar are rapidly expanding their investments in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and SME innovation as part of long-term diversification agendas.

As Pakistan seeks to integrate more deeply with these regional tech ecosystems, partnerships with development institutions such as Qatar Development Bank are viewed as critical for unlocking capital, training and cross-border incubation opportunities for Pakistani founders.

“A detailed discussion was held on new opportunities for financing, incubation and investment for Pakistani tech startups,” according to a statement released by the Pakistani IT ministry after Khawaja met Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulrahman Al Sowaidi in Doha on Wednesday for wide-ranging discussions on strengthening support for Pakistan’s technology sector.

Khawaja told the delegation QDB could play a transformative role in Pakistan’s digital economy and “become a strategic partner for Pakistan’s IT and tech SMEs.”

The talks also covered advanced technology fields where both countries aim to expand cooperation, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and digital transformation. The ministry said the two sides also discussed expanding joint innovation and skills development efforts, adding that innovation and digital skill-building programs between Qatar and Pakistan were an important part of the conversation. Khawaja further proposed broadening institutional collaboration to support mobility and training, stating that she had suggested “enhancing institutional cooperation for talent, training and startup exchange programs.”

The meeting also touched on areas critical to industrial modernization, including cooperation on industrial digitalization, IoT testing environments and cross-incubation programs. Industrial digitalization refers to adopting digital tools such as automation and analytics across manufacturing, while IoT testing environments are specialized facilities where connected devices and sensors are evaluated for performance and security. Cross-incubation programs allow startups to access incubation facilities in both countries, enabling mentorship and market entry.

The ministry concluded that the discussion marked a meaningful step toward deepening the technological relationship between Qatar and Pakistan, describing the engagement as “an important step toward further strengthening the bilateral tech partnership.”