‘AI-native digital province’: Sindh govt inks MoU with Huawei

SHANGHAI: In a major leap toward technological transformation, the government of Sindh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global tech giant Huawei to establish Pakistan’s first AI-native digital province.

The agreement finalised during Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s visit to Huawei’s Lianqiu Lake R&D Center in Shanghai shifts the provincial government’s strategy from mere technology procurement to a deep, collaborative partnership. The comprehensive pact encompasses full e-governance digitisation, provincial cloud and data center infrastructure, smart city solutions, and large-scale ICT skills training for Sindh’s youth.

The MoU was signed by Special Assistant to the CM Syed Qasim Naveed, in the presence of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Chairman of Huawei Pakistan. The framework covers extensive collaboration in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Smart Cities, Digital Government, and AI-Native Smart Parks.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Murad Ali Shah emphasised the transformative nature of the alliance. “This marks an important shift, from purchasing technology to building it together through joint projects, local capacity, and skills for our youth,” he stated.

Paying tribute to Huawei’s formidable research credentials, he noted that this firm consistently investing over a fifth of its revenue into R&D has earned its place among the world’s foremost technology leaders.”

Huawei, founded in Shenzhen in 1987 as a private company wholly owned by its employees, reported 2025 revenues of CNY 880.9 billion and a net profit of CNY 68 billion.

In Pakistan, Huawei is led by CEO Ethan Sun and plays a pivotal role in national ICT capacity-building. This includes a major initiative with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to train 300,000 young Pakistanis, alongside the September 2026 launch of Pakistan’s first national-level telecom equipment repair center in Islamabad.

CM Murad also thanked Huawei for arranging a prior delegation visit to its Global Model Site in Wuhan, noting that it had “left a deep impression” on the provincial leadership.

Drawing parallels with Wuhan-where advanced technology enables city managers to identify urban issues in real time and mitigate crises before they escalate- the Chief Minister stressed that Karachi, a metropolis of over 20 million people, desperately needs similar capabilities.

“The Sindh government is determined to make Sindh Pakistan’s leading digital province, with smart, data-driven governance in Karachi and across our cities, and a young workforce fully prepared for the digital economy,” he asserted.

Furthermore, he proposed establishing a joint working group with designated focal persons from both sides to ensure timely progress, operating under a mutually agreed first-year work plan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026