GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai.Pakistan Declared Tech Destination of the Year. P@SHA

ISLAMABAD: Sajjad Mustafa Syed, the Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), has announced that major Pakistani IT service providers, startups, and exporters will be participating in the global GITEX event in Dubai from October 14 to 18. They will showcase, position, and highlight Pakistan’s export potential in the IT sector.

Sajjad Mustafa Syed emphasized the significance of GITEX Dubai for Pakistan’s economy and its exports, noting that the IT sector will be represented by 180 countries, with over 200,000 substantial trade buyers of IT services, 65,000 senior IT executives from around the globe, and 7,000 multinational companies in IT and related fields. He stated that they expect to generate leads amounting to up to $500 million for the country.

The Chairman of P@SHA indicated that following the strong presence of P@SHA members at the Pakistan Pavilion in previous GITEX Global editions, facilitated by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), Tech Destination Pakistan, and the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Pakistan has been recognized as the Tech Destination of the Year for the 2024 event. He described this as a significant global achievement.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the Minister of State for IT & Telecommunication (MoITT), remarked that this collaboration underscores their dedication to innovation, technology, and international cooperation. She expressed eagerness to showcase Pakistan’s exceptional tech talent and immense potential on this esteemed platform.

Muhammad Umair Nizam, the Senior Vice Chairman of P@SHA and Chairman of the Brand Committee, emphasized that innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusivity are essential for the rapid growth of the IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) industry in Pakistan. He highlighted several positive aspects of this industry: (i) it is the only major industry in Pakistan with a trade surplus, boasting a margin of 77 percent, (ii) it has the potential to generate foreign exchange earnings of approximately $5 billion by FY25, (iii) it can significantly reduce Pakistan’s overall trade deficit, (iv) it has the capacity to stabilize the economy through rapid growth, reduce volatility in the rupee-dollar exchange rate, build foreign exchange reserves, and create employment quickly, and (v) it can develop a large number of highly skilled professionals for both domestic and international markets.

Nadeem Malik, the Secretary General of P@SHA, mentioned that notable Pakistani exhibitors and delegates include: Quixas Technology Pvt Ltd, Wateen Solutions, AutoSoft Dynamics, KODERLABS, Dynamics 360, Creation Next, and Bits Collision, among others.