- September 4, 2026
- Posted by: Tresmark
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Pakistani IT and IT-enabled services companies have attracted strong interest from international investors and technology firms at LEAP 2026, with industry players eyeing greater expansion into the Gulf region, particularly Saudi Arabia.
IT exporters said their participation in the major technology event could help increase Pakistan’s technology and services exports by opening new business opportunities across the GCC.
LEAP 2026 was held in Riyadh from August 31 to September 3, bringing together technology companies, startups, investors and policymakers from around the world despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Saad Shah, CEO of Hexalyze, said Pakistani technology companies received an encouraging response from Saudi businesses and investors. He noted that strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia could create opportunities for Pakistani firms in areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, automation and enterprise technology solutions.
According to Shah, Saudi Arabia represents a stable and expanding market in the Gulf, supported by investor-friendly policies. He encouraged Pakistani technology companies to consider establishing offices in the Kingdom and using the sizeable Pakistani expatriate community as a potential business advantage.
More than 100 Pakistani companies and nearly 1,000 delegates attended LEAP 2026, while 18 companies showcased their products and services at the Pakistan Pavilion under the theme “Think Tech, Think Pakistan.”
Pakistani firms presented solutions covering cybersecurity, cloud migration, managed services, AI applications, intelligent automation, data analytics, digital government and specialised technology services for industries such as banking, healthcare, energy, logistics, real estate, retail and smart cities.
P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed said the participation marked the third occasion on which Pakistani technology companies had taken part in the major global technology event. He said their growing presence demonstrated the sector’s ability to compete internationally, particularly in advanced technology products and services.
Pakistani companies also received interest from Saudi investors and technology firms and entered into several agreements aimed at exploring partnerships, commercial opportunities and potential investment.
Syed said participation in LEAP could become an important step for Pakistan’s IT industry by helping local companies expand technology and services exports into the Gulf and other international markets.
Technology expert Syed Abdul Qadir said Pakistan has significant capabilities in cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, automation, software development, data analytics and managed technology services. These areas, he noted, are expected to become increasingly important as Saudi Arabia advances its Vision 2030 programme.
He said stronger ties between the two countries could help establish a deeper Pakistan-Saudi technology partnership, allowing Pakistani companies to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s technology, innovation and digital transformation ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and digital connectivity as it seeks to build a technology-driven economy. This creates an opportunity for Pakistani companies to offer both cost-competitive technical talent and sophisticated, scalable technology solutions, Qadir added.
The scale of LEAP 2026 provided Pakistani companies with access to a major international business network, with the event attracting more than 200,000 visitors, 1,800 global technology brands, 600 startups, 1,900 investors and over 1,000 speakers.
Industry representatives believe stronger engagement with Saudi Arabia could help position the Kingdom as one of the most important overseas growth markets for Pakistan’s IT sector.
