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Aug 21 , 2026
‘Big Milestone’: Google’s Local Office Inaugurated in Pakistan
Islamabad: Google, the US-based technology giant, on Tuesday inaugurated its local office in Pakistan at a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s House.
According to state-run PTV, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a Google delegation led by the company’s Global Affairs Vice President Wilson L. White at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
US Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan Natalie Baker also attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz said there was “great scope” for a fruitful partnership with Google and for strengthening bilateral ties in various areas.
“Pakistan is going through a major digital transformation. In many areas of our governance, there is a youth bulge and we can really turn around Pakistan’s fortunes,” he said.
“We are doing a lot, and a lot more needs to be done.”
Meanwhile, Google’s vice president described his visit as a “big milestone”.
“Google has been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade, and today we have reached a milestone where we are opening a local office in Pakistan,” White said.
He appreciated PM Shehbaz’s vision of turning Pakistan into a $30 billion IT export hub.
White added that Google was partnering with Pakistan to advance this vision in three ways: by investing in Pakistani people; by investing in manufacturing and infrastructure around export hardware; and, thirdly, by investing in local businesses.
He said Pakistan’s digital transformation was only possible through investment in its people, and that Google had already contributed to the upskilling of over one million Pakistanis through its career certificate programs, in collaboration with schools and teachers, to prepare them for the digital transformation ahead.
He further announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be made free for all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement to follow later in the week.
“We are opening Google’s office in Pakistan because we believe deeply in the country’s digital future and its talent,” said Farhan Qureshi, cluster director for Google Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
“This local presence deepens our commitment to accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation, building on years of partnerships and initiatives to create long-term opportunities. Coupled with the Chromebook assembly line established by local partners, this footprint reinforces Pakistan’s goal of becoming a regional technology and export hub while driving high-value, AI-powered growth nationwide,” he added.
PM Shehbaz, along with officials from the tech giant, formally inaugurated Google’s Pakistan office, terming it a “stepping stone” towards a long journey of collaboration.
In a statement, the company said that with its local office now established, Google would focus on scaling these initiatives in collaboration with the government and digital ecosystem partners. Its vision for Pakistan, it said, remained clear: to help build a “Future Forward Pakistan” that is prosperous, AI-powered and full of opportunities.
Google’s upskilling initiatives have equipped more than one million teachers, students, developers and creators with essential digital skills. The company’s products and programs have also supported Rs3.9 trillion in economic benefits for Pakistani businesses and households, sustaining 965,000 jobs, added the statement.
Earlier this year, the government and the tech giant launched a joint initiative, ‘AI Seekho 2026’, to equip Pakistan’s youth with artificial intelligence skills through vibe coding.
The nationwide initiative aims to equip developers and young professionals with cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities, entirely free of financial barriers. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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