The Media Line: Google launches Pakistan office, signaling new push for digital transformation

Google launches Pakistan office, signaling new push for digital transformation

The Media Line

In a significant development for Pakistan’s technology sector, the global tech giant Google on Tuesday officially launched its corporate presence in Pakistan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosting the company’s Vice President of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Wilson White, in Islamabad. 

According to Radio Pakistan, White led a nine-member Google delegation that met with the prime minister. US Chargé d’affaires Natalie Baker also accompanied the delegation. 

Welcoming the delegation, Sharif said Pakistan was undergoing a major digital transformation, including the digitization of the economy. He outlined the government’s “Digital Nation Pakistan” vision and said several initiatives to develop the country’s digital ecosystem were at an advanced stage of implementation. 

The prime minister reiterated the government’s commitment to upgrading IT infrastructure and training young people in IT and artificial intelligence. He emphasized the importance of cooperation with global technology companies such as Google and welcomed the company’s decision to establish an office in Pakistan. 

Sharif also highlighted the potential of Pakistan’s large youth population to contribute to the country’s digital future and expressed hope that Google would further expand its efforts to upskill and empower young Pakistanis. 

White briefed the prime minister on Google’s plans and said the company had contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion in economic activity for Pakistani businesses and households over the past decade, helping create more than 960,000 jobs. 

He said Google was supporting Pakistan’s goal of achieving $30 billion in IT exports by investing in Pakistani talent, manufacturing and infrastructure for hardware exports, and local businesses. 

White added that Google had helped improve the digital skills of more than one million Pakistanis through its Career Certificates program and partnerships with schools and teachers. 

He further announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be provided free of charge for one year to all students in Pakistan. 

Farhan Qureshi, Google’s cluster director for Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, said the company was opening its Pakistan office because of its strong confidence in the country’s digital future and talent. 

He said Google’s local presence would strengthen its support for Pakistan’s digital transformation and its ambition to become a regional technology and export hub, while driving AI-led growth. 

The opening of Google’s Pakistan office is expected to deepen the company’s engagement with the country’s growing digital economy, while supporting efforts to develop local talent, expand IT exports and accelerate AI-driven growth. 

The move also aligns with Pakistan’s ambition to strengthen its position as a regional technology and export hub. 

Caption : Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with Vice President Government Affairs and Public Policy of Google Mr. Wilson White at the inauguration of the office of Google Pakistan. Islamabad, 18 August 2026. 

Pic courtesy: Prime Minister’s Office 

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