ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif visited United Arab Emirates on Thursday to discuss trade and investment with the leadership of the Middle Eastern nation.
In his address to the IT community in Dubai, PM Shehbaz commended the UAE for its advancement in technology and its success in building modern infrastructure.
Prime Minister said Pakistan is now focusing on partnerships with friendly nations, stating that the era of seeking aid with a “begging bowl” is over. “Gone are the days that I will go to our brotherly countries with a begging bowl. I have shattered that bowl”.
Addressing UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was not present, Sharif said, “My dear brother, like your great father, you have supported Pakistan like a family member.”
He mentioned not to seek loans, but to seek joint collaborations and investments. Prime Minister emphasized that these collaborations would benefit both investors and Pakistan through hard work, creativity, and modern skills.
Sharif also highlighted importance of IT skills for empowering the youth, who make more than half of country;’s population, praising the existing collaboration between UAE and Pakistani companies to promote the digitization of the economy and expressed a desire to expand this in Pakistan.
He committed to providing high-quality vocational training with modern skills to ensure that Pakistani workers can meet the legal requirements to work in the UAE.
Sharif expressed his government’s strong resolve to transform Pakistan’s economy through collaboration, joint ventures, and knowledge-sharing partnerships with the UAE. He emphasized the focus on promoting information technology and artificial intelligence across various sectors of Pakistan’s economy, including agriculture, mining, and industry, to boost exports.
During the visit, three agreements were signed between Pakistani and UAE companies: Labware Arabia with Maison Consulting, Info-Tech Group with 800 Inc Holdings, and Minsait (INDRA) Spain with Info Tech Group. The Prime Minister also presented awards to executives of prominent UAE companies with investment portfolios in Pakistan.
