A high level international delegation led by Google’s Head of Google for Education for the Middle East and North Africa, Mazen Abdallah, met with Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Artificial Intelligence and Special Initiatives, Ali Dar, to present the impact of Google’s education digitisation initiatives across the province and discuss plans to accelerate Punjab’s ambition of becoming the leading AI hub in South Asia. The delegation also included senior representatives from Allied Australia, Tech Valley Pakistan, and the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation, reflecting the continued involvement of the same group of partners that has been driving Google’s education related initiatives in the province over the past year.
During the meeting, Ali Dar emphasised that partnerships with global technology leaders such as Google will play a central role in building a world class AI ecosystem in Punjab, adding that integrating advanced technology into education is fundamental to developing a knowledge based society and preparing the next generation for the evolving global economy. He further stated that collaboration with international technology organisations will help attract investment, foster innovation, and create new employment opportunities across the province, positioning the meeting as part of a broader strategy being pursued by the Office of AI Punjab to build global partnerships and establish the province as a leading centre for artificial intelligence and digital innovation in the region.
The engagement builds on a series of collaborations between Google, Tech Valley Pakistan, and the Punjab government that have unfolded over the past year, beginning with the launch of the province’s first Google for Education Center of Excellence in Lahore in September last year, which introduced AI powered classroom tools, Chromebooks, and teacher training at a public school as a reference model for wider adoption. The partnership has since expanded to include a cabinet level workshop earlier this year, during which senior Punjab ministers were trained on using Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence tools for governance tasks such as summarising policy reports and drafting public communications, as well as a large scale rollout of 100,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships across public and private universities in the province as part of what officials have described as the government’s Year of Youth initiative.
Tech Valley Pakistan, led by Chief Executive Officer Umar Farooq, has served as the central coordinating partner across these initiatives, working alongside Google’s regional teams to translate broader digital transformation goals into specific programmes for Punjab’s education and public sectors. Officials involved in the ongoing collaboration have previously set targets that include scaling secure Google IDs to one million students and teachers across the province and deploying 100,000 Chromebooks to students in 2026, reflecting the scale at which the province is attempting to integrate digital tools into its education system.
The latest meeting with the visiting delegation suggests continued momentum behind this partnership, with officials from both the Punjab government and Google’s regional teams reaffirming their commitment to expanding the reach of AI powered education tools across the province. Advisor Ali Dar has previously described his broader vision as one of positioning Punjab as the most AI enabled province in South Asia, framing continued engagement with global technology partners as central to achieving that goal over the coming years.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
