ISLAMABAD: Google on Tuesday opened its first local office in Pakistan to expand its presence in the country as Islamabad seeks to accelerate digital transformation and achieve its target of increasing annual information technology exports to $30 billion.
The development comes as Pakistan accelerates efforts to expand its digital economy, with the government prioritizing technology-driven growth, digital infrastructure development and a stronger role for the private sector in boosting exports.
Islamabad eyes an ambitious $30 billion annual export target for the information technology (IT) sector, seeking to increase IT and IT-enabled services exports through investment in startups, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital skills training and improved connectivity.
A nine-member Google delegation, led its Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White, called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad ahead of the Google office’s inauguration. The delegation was accompanied by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker.
“Google has been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade and to be able to reach this milestone where we’re opening a local office, I think is a very special moment. Honorable Prime Minister, your ambition of making Pakistan a $30 billion IT export hub very much aligns with the goals that we have at Google,” White said at the inauguration ceremony.
“Over the past 10 years, we have contributed to more than Rs3.9 trillion of economic activity for local Pakistani businesses as well as households in Pakistan, contributing to over 960,000 jobs, and this is just the beginning,” he said.
“We’re committing and I think furthering your goal of the $30 billion IT export ambition in three ways. We’re doing it by investing in the Pakistani people. We’re doing it by investing in the manufacturing and the infrastructure around exports of hardware, and then thirdly, we’re investing in local businesses.”
Sharif welcomed Google’s decision to open its office in Pakistan and noted that it would further strengthen the South Asian country’s partnership with the global IT giant.
“It’s a wonderful day, a great day in our partnership. I think it’s a stepping stone toward a long journey of contributing in a field which is very attractive,” he said. “We will empower our youth through these wonderful modern tools, techniques and technology.”
In his meeting with Google delegates earlier, Sharif appreciated Google’s role in advancing Pakistan’s digital economy and lauded its initiatives that have enabled thousands of Pakistani youth to secure productive employment.
“With Google’s local presence now established, high-impact programs could be scaled up further,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.
