KARACHI: The Saylani Welfare International Trust (SWIT), a Pakistani non-profit, has initiated the process of showcasing its mass information technology (IT) education program to top tech companies, investors and IT experts, hoping it would open doors to tech opportunities in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
In connection with the initiative, a top-level delegation of the Saylani Welfare International Trust visited Riyadh this month to attend the LEAP tech exhibition and conference to explore the prospect of a massive number of IT experts soon required by Saudi Arabia from abroad.
The annual LEAP exhibition, which showcases cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives and innovations, ran from March 3 till March 7 in Riyadh, featuring over 1,800 local and international exhibitors, around 1,000 technical experts, and 600 startups.
More than 70 Pakistani software and IT companies and 800 delegates showcased their products at the exhibition this year, according to representatives of Pakistani firms. These companies signed several deals with leading firms in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
“The Saylani delegation held meetings with the representatives of the top tech companies including Zoom, Saudi Digital Academy, Coursera, UAE Blockchain, and OpenAI,” the SWIT said in a statement. “The meetings were held to explore employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia for Pakistani tech experts and graduates of the Mass IT Training Program of Saylani.”
The delegation, which included SWIT Chief Executive Officer Madni Raza, Adviser to SWIT Chairman Amjad Chamdia and Chief Operating Officer Muhammad Ghazzal, witnessed the rollout of the “Vision-2022-23” for setting up IT cities in Saudi Arabia, according to the statement. The LEAP event was held as part of the same vision.
Upon their return to Pakistan, the delegates informed SWIT founder and chairman, Maulana Bashir Farooq Qadri, that several top tech companies had shown a keen interest in investing in the proposed IT cities to be set up in Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia in the coming few years will employ a large number of IT experts and technicians,” the statement read. “Graduates of Saylani’s mass IT training initiative would prove to be a valuable asset to the mass tech initiatives being launched in Saudi Arabia.”
The representatives of tech companies Coursera and OpenAI appreciated the mass IT training initiative and termed it a step in accordance with the requirements of the present-day world, according to the SWIT.
“Such interactions would go a long way to benefit highly skilled Pakistani youth who are an asset to the country,” SWIT Chairman Qadri was quoted as saying.
He said his non-profit had fully realized the importance of IT many years back and its vision stood for a massive increase in Pakistan’s tech exports.
The SWIT delegation also met with Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and briefed him about the IT learning program of the non-profit, the statement added.
