Pakistan Showcases Digital Transformation at LEAP 2026, Opens Tech Destination Pavilion in Riyadh

• IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja highlighted Pakistan’s digital transformation strategy during her keynote address at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh.
• Pakistan is developing a national digital stack alongside investments in connectivity, technology zones and measures to improve IT sector competitiveness.
• The Tech Destination Pakistan Pavilion features 25 startups and 50 leading Pakistani technology companies.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has highlighted Pakistan’s progress towards becoming a digital nation as the country showcased its growing technology sector at the LEAP 2026 conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Addressing the conference on September 1, Shaza Fatima delivered a keynote titled “How We Built a Digital Nation” and outlined the government’s strategy for strengthening Pakistan’s digital economy through legislation, infrastructure, institutional reforms and private-sector partnerships.

She said Pakistan had provided a legal foundation for its digital transformation through the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, which established the National Digital Commission and Pakistan Digital Authority to provide institutional ownership and support implementation of the country’s digital agenda.

According to the minister, the legal framework has been accompanied by investment aimed at improving connectivity and competitiveness. She highlighted measures including a major spectrum auction for 5G, the establishment of special technology zones and reduced taxation for the IT industry.

Shaza Fatima said Pakistan’s digital transformation was being pursued under the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and with the support of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). She said the council brings together the federal leadership and provincial chief executives to support investment and economic initiatives.

Building on these measures, Pakistan is now developing a national digital stack. The minister said the combination of this digital infrastructure with Pakistan’s young workforce and improving political and economic stability could position the country as one of the region’s attractive destinations for technology investment.

She said the government’s approach to economic growth remained focused on innovation, partnerships and smart investment.

Sharing lessons from Pakistan’s digital transformation journey, Shaza Fatima said governments could achieve better results by concentrating on effective policymaking and building strong institutions while creating conditions in which the private sector could lead economic growth.

She stressed the importance of having a dedicated central digital agency capable of translating policies into practical implementation. She also highlighted the need for measurable key performance indicators and institutional discipline to keep large-scale digital programmes focused on their objectives.

The minister said the state’s responsibility was to establish the core digital infrastructure required by the economy, allowing private companies and entrepreneurs to develop innovative products and services on top of that foundation.

She emphasised that sustainable digital progress could not be achieved by the government alone and required partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Shaza Fatima also reaffirmed Pakistan’s intention to deepen technology cooperation with Saudi Arabia. She expressed confidence that greater collaboration in digital innovation, capacity-building and emerging technologies could create new opportunities for economic growth and prosperity in both countries.

Earlier, the federal minister formally inaugurated the Tech Destination Pakistan Pavilion at LEAP 2026, providing Pakistani technology businesses with a platform to present their products and capabilities to an international audience.

The pavilion features 25 Pakistani startups and 50 leading technology companies showcasing solutions across artificial intelligence, automation and other digital technologies.

Pakistan’s participation at LEAP 2026 is aimed at connecting local technology companies with international businesses and investors, facilitating business-to-business partnerships and expanding access to overseas markets.