RIYADH (Kashmir English): The unprecedented expansion of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding technology sector is creating new opportunities for Pakistani IT professionals.
The demand for skilled manpower in areas such as IT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, automation, and software development is continuously increasing to complete major development projects under Vision 2030, due to which Pakistan appears to be in a good position to increase exports of its highly skilled workforce.
Experts say that to fully benefit from this emerging demand, it is imperative to promote strategic bilateral initiatives, targeted skill development programs, and institutional cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, so that Pakistani IT professionals can utilize their capabilities according to world standards.
According to official data, the number of Pakistani workers residing in various cities of Saudi Arabia has reached 530,256 in 2025, which is 17 percent more than last year. This increase has resulted in over 77,000 more Pakistani workers moving to Saudi Arabia, significantly increasing the workforce exchange between the two countries.
According to Saudi Arabia-based IT and cybersecurity expert Taimur Butt, large-scale development projects are underway in the kingdom under Vision 2030, for which highly skilled technology professionals are being recruited from all over the world, especially Muslim countries and Pakistan.
He says that Saudi companies are providing visa sponsorship and other incentives to foreign experts along with attractive salaries, while in the sensitive nature, preference may be given to Pakistani experts in the cybersecurity sector.
According to IT exporter Saad Shah, several Pakistani IT and fintech companies have set up their sub-offices in Saudi Arabia and are transferring staff there, which is increasing the overall migration.
According to him, Saudi Arabia has become a preferred destination for Pakistani professionals due to religious and cultural harmony and the presence of a large Pakistani community.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development is taking various steps to increase the number of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia to one million in the next few years, so that more employment opportunities can be created.
Educationist Dr. Noman Saeed stressed that Pakistan must adapt its education system to global requirements. According to him, the establishment of specialized IT universities and cooperation between industry and educational institutions are indispensable, so that the competitive position of Pakistani manpower in the global market can be further strengthened.
