IT Minister Leads 20 Pakistani Tech Firms Seeking Saudi Capital at LEAP 2026
Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja arrived in Riyadh today to lead a national pavilion of 20 technology firms at LEAP 2026. The four-day summit connects Pakistani software houses and startups with 1,900 global investors as Saudi Arabia executes its Vision 2030 technology expansion.
The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan organized the official pavilion. The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) and several independent companies are operating separate delegations. Their collective objective is to secure permanent contracts and establish formal operations in the Saudi market.
Establishing a Permanent Saudi Presence
During the 2025 event, Pakistan sent over 100 companies and 1,500 delegates. A post-event report by the PSEB indicated that participation generated 78 leads and $9.74 million in business. This year, the delegation aims to convert short-term leads into anchor clients.
The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) maintains a dedicated help desk at LEAP to facilitate these transitions. This on-the-ground support has already enabled over 100 Pakistani firms to register local entities in the Kingdom.
This is the fourth edition that we would be attending at LEAP. We’ve made very deep industry connections.
Abdul Muqsit Abbasi, CEO of Karachi-based ByteCorp Technologies, stated that consistent attendance translates directly into tangible business operations.
Aligning with Gulf Demand
Saudi Arabia is currently funding projects across several technical domains where Pakistani firms offer competitive pricing and English-speaking talent. Key demand areas include:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Fintech
- Cloud Computing
- Cybersecurity
- Smart City Solutions
Securing Saudi capital is central to Pakistan’s broader economic strategy. ICT export remittances reached $3.38 billion between July and March of FY2025-26, marking a 19.7 percent year-on-year increase. The government targets $25.1 billion in ICT exports by 2030, a goal heavily reliant on expanding market share in the Gulf.
Recent institutional developments support this cross-border integration. The newly inaugurated GO AI Hub in Islamabad functions as a joint Pakistan-Saudi initiative to develop AI talent and build market linkages. Concurrently, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has digitized its regulatory framework, simplifying the process for foreign investors to deploy capital into Pakistani technology companies.
The 2025 LEAP event facilitated $14.9 billion in deals across all participating countries. Capturing a larger fraction of this deal flow remains the primary objective for the Pakistani delegation as the 2026 event runs through September 3.