KARACHI: Pakistan’s exports of advertising and market research services increased 19 percent year-on-year to USD30.7 million during July–September 2026, according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data, as digital agencies explore opportunities in international markets through artificial intelligence (AI) tools and cross-border services.
At Payoneer Connect Google’s Customer Solutions team told more than 40 agency leaders that businesses serving international clients could access additional growth opportunities compared with agencies focused exclusively on the domestic market.
Citing its benchmark of agencies operating in Southeast Asia, Google said cross-border campaigns accounted for 30 percent of their advertising spend and were growing 2.5 to 3.2 times faster than domestic work. The company said Pakistani agencies could pursue a similar growth path by expanding their services into international markets.
Hosted by Payoneer, a global financial technology company that provides cross-border payment services, the event was held under the theme “The Export Era of Global Marketing”. It brought together agency leaders, representatives of Google and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), and AI practitioners to discuss opportunities for Pakistan’s marketing services industry.
Google said language and payments had historically been among the major challenges faced by agencies seeking international clients. It said its AI tools could help agencies localise websites, advertisements and videos for new markets without charge.
On the payments side, Payoneer’s platform enables agencies to bill international clients, receive payments in multiple currencies and withdraw funds to bank accounts in Pakistan. Google’s business acquisition team also offered support to Pakistani agencies in pitching to and onboarding advertisers that were new to its platform.
The discussion also focused on how agencies could move beyond conventional service-based billing and develop higher-value AI products. During a fireside chat on agentic AI, Ali Imran Memon, founder and chief executive officer of Kitsune AI, discussed how agencies could convert their expertise into AI agents and products rather than relying solely on billable hours.
The conversation also examined potential pricing models for such services, including subscriptions, task-based charges and outcome-based pricing.
Participants also discussed the policy requirements for sustaining growth in digital services exports. P@SHA Vice Chairman Samad Saleem outlined the association’s ongoing policy and advocacy efforts to scale Pakistan’s digital services exports, as the government pursues a target of USD15 billion in IT exports by 2030.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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