Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated Google’s office in Pakistan, welcoming a delegation led by the technology company’s Vice President Wilson White and describing the development as significant for the country’s growing digital economy.
The meeting was also attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, with the prime minister noting that Google’s expanded presence coincided with Pakistan undergoing a major transformation in digital governance.
Shehbaz highlighted the potential of the country’s large young population, saying Pakistan’s youth could play an important role in transforming its economic prospects. While acknowledging progress already made, he stressed that considerably more work remained to be done.
White described the opening of Google’s local office as a major milestone for the company in Pakistan, noting that it followed more than a decade of investment and engagement in the country.
“Google has been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade,” White said, describing the establishment of a local office as a particularly significant moment.
He also said Google’s ambitions in Pakistan were closely aligned with the prime minister’s goal of developing the country into a $30 billion IT export hub.
The opening strengthens Google’s formal presence in Pakistan at a time when the government is seeking to expand digitalisation, technology investment and IT exports as important components of its economic strategy.