Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister congratulated Google’s team and Pakistan’s technology community, saying the opening of the office marked an important step towards a long-term partnership between Pakistan and the technology giant.
Shehbaz Sharif said cooperation with Google would contribute to a sector of critical importance in the modern era and help empower Pakistani youth through modern tools, technology and skills.
Welcoming a Google delegation led by Vice President Wilson L White, the prime minister expressed hope that the partnership would expand further and create new opportunities for cooperation in the digital sector.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wilson thanked the prime minister for hosting the delegation and said Google had been investing in Pakistan for more than a decade.
He said Shehbaz Sharif’s ambition to transform Pakistan into a $30 billion IT export hub was closely aligned with Google’s objectives.
According to Wilson, Google has contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion to economic activity involving Pakistani businesses and households over the past decade and supported more than 960,000 jobs.
He said Google remained committed to supporting Pakistan’s IT export ambitions through investment in human resources, manufacturing, hardware export infrastructure and local businesses.
Wilson stressed that Pakistan’s digital transformation could only succeed with adequate investment in its people.
He said Google had already helped more than one million Pakistanis develop digital skills through career certificates and programmes conducted in collaboration with schools and teachers.
The Google vice president also announced that the company would provide free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini to all students in Pakistan.
He said the initiative would help young Pakistanis acquire modern digital skills and benefit from emerging technologies.
