ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq on Sunday highlighted the growing potential of cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the field of information technology (IT), saying that both countries have “a lot to offer each other” in this regard.

The remarks came during a virtual tech talk session titled “AI: The Story of the New Wave – Opportunities and Risks” hosted by the Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh in Islamabad.

The event featured discussions led by Tariq Khan, a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) expert and corporate strategist at Pakistani technology company Systems Ltd., and attracted representatives from leading Saudi companies.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Farooq said the Pakistani Mission in Saudi Arabia has been working hard over the past year and a half to strengthen ties between the technology sectors of both countries.

“We believe that both countries have a lot to offer each other,” he said. “Greater cooperation between the technology sectors of both countries would be beneficial for both sides.”

The Pakistani diplomat stressed that Pakistan’s IT sector has grown over the decades and includes some of the best global IT service providers, and highlighted the importance of IT in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the opportunities it offers for Pakistani professionals.

Saudi Arabia is consolidating its economy to modern standards under Vision 2030, a strategic development framework designed to reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil by developing public service sectors such as IT, health, education, infrastructure, leisure and tourism.

“Significant investments are being made in developing the capacity of local human resources and start-ups and now we are witnessing a thriving technology ecosystem in this country (Pakistan),” said Ambassador Farooq, urging more direct interactions between Pakistani and Saudi technology companies and start-ups to foster closer ties.

He pointed out that Pakistani educational institutions produce about 25,000 IT graduates every year who gain relevant professional experience in sectors such as AI, cybersecurity and gaming.

“It is important to note that Pakistani companies are developing products and services in all IT areas and are building a skilled workforce in the process,” the Pakistani diplomat said.

In addition, he said, the Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh is in touch with all relevant stakeholders.

“For example, we have shared the Saudi curriculum and vocational training requirements with Pakistani training institutions so that the training programs for the Pakistani workforce can be adapted to Saudi requirements. This will ensure that our skilled workers are equipped to meet the relevant demands of the Saudi market,” the ambassador said.

In his speech, Khan spoke about the importance of GenAI, which can generate text, images, videos and other data using generative models, and its potential in various thriving sectors in Saudi Arabia. He said his company, Systems Ltd, has been approached by petroleum and oil companies in Saudi Arabia to explore AI capabilities for process optimization.

“In Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, smart construction in residential projects offers great potential in terms of artificial intelligence and intelligent decision-making and optimization tools,” said Khan, highlighting the potential for collaboration in smart grid management, energy materials development and optimization of electricity and water consumption in new residential projects.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy close economic, defense and religious ties. The kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and is the main source of remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.

In recent years, Pakistani technology companies have also participated in the annual LEAP exhibition in Riyadh, which showcases cutting-edge technologies, initiatives and innovations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), to showcase their IT expertise and innovative products.

According to Khan, AI could significantly benefit the healthcare and insurance sector in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom transitions to an insurance-based healthcare system. Pakistan’s expertise in automating healthcare workflows could be useful in this context.

“Pakistan can be very helpful here,” the expert said. “Not only do we have AI companies that can automate healthcare processing and documentation, but we also have several companies in the country that are already doing this, namely automating healthcare workflows.”

Addressing concerns about job losses due to GenAI, Khan compared it to the aviation industry, saying that while some jobs may be affected in the short term, new opportunities will arise from the transformation.

“Next-generation AI is only going to expand the opportunities and places where we need help, and companies are going to change,” he said. “So they’re going to continue to need more people, just like the aviation industry I mentioned. In the long run, jobs are not going to go away.”