Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen bilateral cybersecurity cooperation, while Pakistani startup Edversity secured a $400,000 investment and OfficeFlow AI signed new commercial and technology agreements at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh.
The agreements came as more than 75 Pakistani startups and technology companies showcased their products and services at the Saudi technology and innovation conference, held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja led Pakistan’s participation under the Tech Destination Pakistan banner, with the country mounting one of its largest national delegations at the event.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign Cybersecurity MoU
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Sept. 1 to strengthen cooperation against emerging cyber threats.
The agreement was signed by NCA Governor Eng. Majed Al-Mazyed and Khawaja and provides for the exchange of cybersecurity expertise and best practices.
According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the MoU aims to protect the cyberspace and vital interests of both countries by facilitating cooperation in addressing emerging cyber threats.
The agreement also aligns with the NCA’s efforts to build international cybersecurity partnerships and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position in the sector.
Edversity secures investment as OfficeFlow AI signs Saudi deals
IT Minister Khawaja formally inaugurated the Tech Destination Pakistan Pavilion, which featured 25 startups and more than 50 Pakistani technology companies working in artificial intelligence, automation and other digital technologies.
The IT ministry said Pakistan’s participation was aimed at facilitating business-to-business partnerships, attracting international investment and expanding global market access for the country’s technology sector.
One of the clearest financial outcomes came from Edversity, an Ignite-supported startup operating under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.
The AI-powered education platform secured a $400,000 investment from Rapidev Group, which will be used to accelerate its international expansion and scale its platform.
Meanwhile, Pakistani business automation company OfficeFlow AI signed an Incubation Partnership Agreement with Dhahran Techno Valley (DTV), a Saudi technology ecosystem.
The agreement focuses on developing and scaling OfficeFlow AI’s AI-powered business automation platform across the region.
OfficeFlow AI also signed a separate agreement with MIS Arabia, a Saudi technology services company serving major clients including Aramco and SABIC.
Eight Pakistani startups also graduated from Cohort 01 of AstroLabs LEAP, a 12-week soft-landing accelerator delivered through BridgeStart Pakistan, Ignite and AstroLabs with support from the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.
IT Minister outlines Pakistan’s digital agenda
During the conference, IT Minister Khawaja delivered a keynote address titled “How We Built a Digital Nation,” in which she outlined Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda.
She highlighted the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and investments in connectivity, including what the ministry described as one of the region’s largest 5G spectrum auctions.
Khawaja also discussed reforms intended to attract technology investment under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s digitalization agenda, with facilitation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
She later joined a panel titled “Governing Growth: Building Human-Centered Digital Economies in an AI-Driven Era,” alongside ministers from Algeria, Barbados, Eswatini and Syria, as well as Digital Cooperation Organization Secretary General Deemah AlYahya.
Bilateral talks focus on technology and investment
Khawaja held a series of bilateral meetings with government officials and technology-sector executives during the conference.
Her meetings included Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha; Algerian Minister of Knowledge Economy, Startups and Microenterprise Dr. Noureddine Ouadah; South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-Hoon; and DCO Secretary General Deemah AlYahya.
She also met Saudi technology and digital-sector officials including National Technology Development Program CEO Ibrahim Neyaz, Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority President Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi and NCA Governor Eng. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Mazyed.
LEAP 2026 brought together more than 1,800 technology brands, 600 startups and 1,900 investors, according to the IT ministry.
The event comes as Pakistan seeks to expand technology exports and deepen ties with Saudi Arabia, where investment in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and other technology sectors is accelerating under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification program.
Pakistan’s technology exports reached a record $4.6 billion in fiscal year 2026, according to the Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA).
For Islamabad and Riyadh, the latest cybersecurity agreement adds a government-level dimension to growing technology and commercial engagement, while the investment and commercial agreements announced at LEAP point to expanding opportunities for Pakistani technology companies in the Saudi market.