DUBAI – UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Rashid Al Maktoum has officially opened GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest IT exhibition, at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) in Dubai.
The five-day (Oct 16-20) tech show will be attended by over 6,000 companies from 170 countries across the globe.
Under the leadership Ministry Information Technology Umar Saif, Pakistan is also participating in the event with full might as the pavilion of the South Asian country comprises 27 companies and over 45 startups, making it one of the largest exhibit lounges at GITEX.
The Pakistan pavilion was inaugurated by the IT minister while a number of officials were also present on the occasion.
“Our brand Tech Destination Pakistan is one of the biggest brands visible at GITEX, and the buzz around Pakistan’s IT industry is electrifying,” the ministry said in a post on X.
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Speaking at GITEX about the potential of Pakistani IT companies and investing in Pakistani startups, Umar Saif said: “Our IT industry has so much potential to grow and acquire large clients globally”
He said Pakistan’s IT exports and startups had witnessed a sharp upward trend in recent years, driven by enabling policies of the government. He said Pakistan’s IT exports now stand at $2.6 billion annually, with the potential to increase to $10 billion within the next 2-3 years.
To incentivise the industry, he said the government is establishing special technology zones, adding that around 5-7 technology zones are ready, while two technology zones are already operational.
He said the zones will house technology companies, outsourcing companies, startups, financial institutions, and real estate developers capable of building technology infrastructure.
“Additionally, we are also creating co-working spaces with necessary infrastructure to accommodate 500,000 freelancers working online in Pakistan,” said Dr. Saif while highlighting that Pakistan has the second largest online freelancing workforce.
