Key facts
- Google has officially opened its first office in Pakistan, located in Islamabad.
- The move is intended to support Pakistan's goal of becoming a $30 billion IT export hub.
- Google has invested in Pakistan for over a decade, contributing significantly to its economy and job market.
- The company will focus on people, hardware exports, and local businesses in its Pakistan strategy.
- Google has provided digital skills training to over one million Pakistanis.
- Students in Pakistan will receive free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini.
Google has formally established its first country office in Pakistan, a move that a senior company official stated would help the nation achieve its $30 billion IT export target. The opening ceremony in Islamabad was attended by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who unveiled the foundation plaque and described the development as a significant milestone in Pakistan's digital transformation.
Google Vice President Wilson L. White emphasized the company's decade-long investment in Pakistan, noting that its activities have contributed over Rs3.9 trillion to the local economy and supported more than 960,000 jobs. He outlined Google's commitment to Pakistan's IT export goals through three key areas: investment in people, manufacturing and infrastructure for hardware exports, and support for local businesses.
Google has already invested in upskilling over one million Pakistanis through its career certificate programs, preparing them for the digital economy with skills in areas like artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Additionally, the company announced that students across Pakistan will receive free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini, with a formal announcement forthcoming.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that Google's presence reflects growing international confidence in Pakistan's digital economy and that the government aims to connect local talent with global opportunities. Experts, however, suggest that Google's formal entry into Pakistan is also driven by the desire to explore and capitalize on the country's nascent but rapidly growing local digital market.