ISLAMABAD: 21 August 2026: Pakistan and Google on Friday signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating national digital transformation, expanding digital skills, and fostering AI-driven innovation across key sectors, besides boosting Pakistan’s IT exports and overall digital economy to $30 billion by 2030, said a press release issued by the Media Wing of the Prime Minister Office (PMO) here.
The press release said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who also hosted a special reception in honour of the visiting Google leadership delegation, witnessed the signing ceremony, which was also attended by Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Wilson White, Vice President Government Affairs and Public Policy, US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, and other senior officials.
It added Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said, “It’s a wonderful day in our partnership. It’s a stepping stone towards a long journey of contributing towards a field that is very important. We’ll empower our youth through these modern tools and techniques and technology. It’s very interesting that the delegation is here at a time when Pakistan is going through a major digital transformation in many areas, including governance. We have a youth bulge and we can really turn around Pakistan’s fortunes.”
Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated, “Over the last two years, our government has worked tirelessly to modernize Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, ease the process of doing business, and expand our IT skills base and human resource capacity. Today’s event stands as a testament to the progress we have achieved under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as we continue to advance Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda and position our nation as a competitive player in the global digital economy.”
Farhan Qureshi Google Cluster Director for Pakistan, The Philippines and Thailand said, “Building on the momentum of our recent office inauguration, we are honored to further deepen our partnership with Pakistan. This collaboration marks a major step forward in unlocking the nation’s digital potential and empowering its next generation of talent. By expanding access to critical skills, cutting-edge AI tools, and key sector innovations, Google is proud to support Pakistan’s journey toward a $30 billion digital economy.”
Secretary of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, Zarrar Hasham Khan, and David Weller, Head of South-East Asia and South Asia Public Policy at Google signed the MoU that features Google Career Certificates, Gemini access for students, and establishing the Google AI Centre of Excellence, development of mobile applications and gaming industry accelerators, enhancing digital payment ecosystems, and the digital transformation of government and sectoral AI.
Under the MoU, Google aims to provide 150,000 Google Career Certificates for Pakistani youth in 2026, equipping them with market-ready skills in high-demand technical fields.
Google intends to explore the expansion of the Google Career Certificates program (150,000 Certificates in 2026 with the possibility to enhance in coming years) in Pakistan to foster employment opportunities in high-growth fields.
Google intends to explore the provision of advanced AI tools, including, but not limited to 1 year free access of Google AI Plus and Gemini Notebook, to support students across Pakistan in their academic and research pursuits, with the aim of enabling them to maximize their competitiveness and contribute to IT exports according to the MoU.
Both sides agreed to establish a dedicated AI Centre of Excellence in Islamabad to train Pakistani youth and human resources to meet international tech market standards.
It was agreed that under the Prime Minister’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) transformation plan, Google will support FBR in using AI to modernise public service delivery, streamline government operations, and accelerate the digital transformation of the FBR.
Moreover, AI will be integrated into the agricultural sector for crop monitoring, yield forecasting, and sustainable farming, and the digital platforms will assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in expanding their footprint into global markets.
Under the MoU, Google and Pakistan aim to work together to support local app developers and gaming studios, while exploring ways to strengthen the digital payments ecosystem and expand digital trade.
A joint task force comprising representatives from the government, Google, and key industry stakeholders will be formed to identify impediments and enablers to IT export growth, including an investment framework for hardware manufacturing and services, enhancing global market reach, and upskilling of human resources.
