Over 100 Pakistani IT companies participating in ‘LEAP 2025’

KARACHI: Pakistani IT companies are aggressively exploring new and emerging tech markets particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as more than 100 firms providing IT and IT-enabled services are participating in LEAP 2025, one of the world’s major tech trade fairs, being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

More than 1,000 delegates from Pakistan are attending the conference, marking the highest-ever participation by Pakistan at LEAP in terms of both companies and visitors. Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia soared to $50 million in the last fiscal year (FY24), and Pakistani companies are now seeking to expand their business in KSA.

Pakistani IT firms are showcasing their latest solutions and services at LEAP 2025, engaging in strategic networking, and exploring joint ventures and investment opportunities in the Kingdom. State Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima is also attending the fair and also inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at LEAP 2025.

Talking about the LEAP potential Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA), Muhammad Umair Nizam has said that Pakistani IT companies are attracting numerous foreign firms from various sectors at LEAP 2025. Pakistani IT companies witnessed a 100 percent increase in IT exports during the last financial year and are set to achieve another record this year, driven by new business deals at both public and private levels, he added.

He further highlighted that collaborative efforts by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of IT, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and P@SHA have created a favourable environment for IT companies to expand operations in the KSA market and across the GCC region.

Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) has also established a help desk to assist Pakistani companies in registering their businesses in Saudi Arabia. This initiative has simplified the registration process, leading to the successful registration of over 100 Pakistani tech entities in the KSA market.

Highlighting the significance of LEAP conferences and exhibitions, Saad Shah CEO Hexalyze and an exporter with operations in Saudi Arabia, noted that LEAP is the major platform to connect with the numerous multinational corporations, from both the private and public sectors, which are establishing operations in Saudi Arabia’s industrial zones and commercial sectors. He also pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s increasing focus on AI, fintech, cloud computing, cyber security, and smart city solutions presents a lucrative market for Pakistani IT firms, which have already established a strong reputation in software development, enterprise solutions, and digital services.

With Saudi Arabia poised to become a regional technology power house, LEAP 2025 serves as a gateway for Pakistani enterprises to expand their footprint across the Middle East and beyond, he added. It may be mentioned here that Pakistan’s IT exports recorded a significant increase, reaching $1.53billion in the first half of the 2024-25 financial year. Projections indicate that this figure could surpass $4 billion by the end of FY25.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025