Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Riyadh, aiming to enhance bilateral cooperation in communications and information technology.

The agreement, signed by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Alswaha and Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Information Technology, Telecommunication, Science and Technology Dr. Umar Saif, focuses on accelerating digital transformation, fostering innovation, and developing digital infrastructure.

The key highlights of the MoU include the establishment of a taskforce dedicated to promoting Saudi-Pakistan Digital Cooperation.

The countries plan to strengthen their SME and start-up ecosystems by facilitating re-location and exchanging information on business accelerators and incubators for emerging technology.

Cooperation on policies, regulations, and legislation in the digitization and electronic manufacturing sectors is also outlined.

Furthermore, the agreement delves into exploring how entrepreneurs and enterprises can benefit from tech investments and venture capital.

The ultimate goal is to deepen digital economy ties by evaluating and qualifying companies for collaborative opportunities in their ICT markets.

The scope of collaboration extends to areas such as e-governance, smart infrastructure, e-health, e-education, and emerging technologies like AI, IoT, robotics, cloud computing, e-gaming, and blockchain.

Joint projects, training programs, and the establishment of innovation centers for advanced technologies, centers of excellence, and university branches are part of the shared vision to boost research and innovation.

To enhance digital infrastructure, both countries will work on improving the connectivity of their fiber optic networks, data centers, and cloud computing.

The MoU also encourages mutual participation in international events and the exchange of information between private and public enterprises in IT development and electronics.