Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif officially inaugurated Google’s new office in Islamabad on Tuesday, describing the event as a significant milestone in Pakistan’s ongoing digital transformation and its expanding partnership with the global tech giant. During the ceremony, the prime minister extended his congratulations to Google’s team and the country’s technology sector, calling the office opening a “great day” and a crucial step toward a sustained collaboration.
He emphasized that Pakistan’s cooperation with Google will play a vital role in advancing a sector that is increasingly important in today’s world, empowering the nation’s youth through access to modern tools, techniques, and technologies. Welcoming the Google delegation led by Vice President Wilson L White, PM Shehbaz expressed optimism that this partnership would deepen and unlock new opportunities in the digital landscape.
In response, Google Vice President Wilson expressed gratitude for the warm reception and highlighted Google’s decade-long investment in Pakistan. He noted that PM Shehbaz’s vision to transform Pakistan into a $30 billion IT export hub aligns closely with Google’s objectives. Wilson revealed that over the past ten years, Google has contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion to Pakistan’s economy, supporting nearly 960,000 jobs across businesses and households.
Wilson affirmed Google’s commitment to bolstering Pakistan’s IT export goals by investing in local talent, manufacturing capabilities, and infrastructure for hardware exports. He stressed that successful digital transformation hinges on substantial investment in human capital. To date, Google has helped upskill over one million Pakistanis through career certificate programs and collaborations with schools and educators to prepare youth for the digital economy.
In a significant development, Wilson announced that Google would offer free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini for all students in Pakistan. This initiative aims to further equip young Pakistanis with advanced digital skills and enable them to benefit from emerging technologies, reinforcing the country’s position in the global digital arena.
