Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized a new era of cooperation between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his visit on Thursday, asserting that his mission was to foster joint collaborations and investments rather than seeking loans.
Addressing a roundtable conference titled “Innovate Together: UAE-Pakistan Tech Collaboration,” the Prime Minister declared, “Gone are the days when I will go to a brotherly country with a begging bowl. I have broken that bowl. The bowl will lead us nowhere. When was the last time that a country prospered through aid and bowls? Only the nations made their mark and left indelible footprints through sacrifice, hard work, sweat, and blood.”
In his scheduled meeting with the UAE President, PM Sharif underscored that his agenda was focused on creating mutually beneficial partnerships through joint investments.
He outlined his government’s commitment to providing the highest standard of vocational training to Pakistani workers, enabling them to establish offices in the UAE, offer remote services, and secure livelihoods. “I am prepared to take that risk because nothing can be achieved without taking risks. I am ready to move forward in this field,” he asserted. During the event, three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Pakistani and UAE IT companies to drive digital transformation.
The Prime Minister lauded the UAE President’s vision of advancing IT, artificial intelligence, and modern information infrastructure to diversify the economy beyond oil and gas, aiming to position the UAE as a hub for imports and exports.
Praising Pakistani IT professionals for their contributions to digitizing the UAE economy, PM Sharif said, “That is what we need to replicate in Pakistan. Pakistan offers great potential with 60 percent of its population aged 15-30 years.”
“We want to transform our economy. I have an iron resolve to completely transform the economy of Pakistan in collaboration with the UAE, be it a joint venture, collaboration, or knowledge-sharing partnership,” he stated.
The event was also attended by key Pakistani officials, including Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, and Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
