How Pakistani Startups Are Redefining Success at LEAP 2025

Pakistani tech startups and IT companies are making significant strides in exploring international markets, particularly in Saudi Arabia, through events like LEAP 2025. With over 100 Pakistani firms showcasing their IT and IT-enabled services at this major tech trade fair in Riyadh, the country’s presence at LEAP is stronger than ever, with more than 1,000 delegates attending. This marks Pakistan’s largest participation in the event, reflecting the growing interest in expanding into global tech markets.

Pakistan’s exports to Saudi Arabia reached an impressive $50 million in the last fiscal year (FY24), and Pakistani companies are now focused on leveraging platforms like LEAP to expand their operations in the Kingdom and the broader GCC region. At LEAP 2025, Pakistani firms are not only displaying their innovative tech solutions but also engaging in high-level networking, exploring potential joint ventures, and seeking investment opportunities.

How Pakistani Startups Are Redefining Success at LEAP 2025

Shaza Fatima, the State Minister for IT and Telecommunication, also attended the event, inaugurating the Pakistan Pavilion and underscoring the importance of these initiatives for strengthening Pakistan’s tech presence abroad.

Muhammad Umair Nizam, Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA), highlighted the growing interest in Pakistani IT services, noting a 100% increase in IT exports last year. He added that this trend will continue, with new business deals emerging from both the public and private sectors in KSA. The collaborative efforts between entities like the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of IT, the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and P@SHA have created a favourable environment for Pakistani firms to flourish in KSA and beyond.

Moreover, the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) has launched a dedicated help desk to streamline the process for Pakistani businesses looking to establish themselves in Saudi Arabia, resulting in the successful registration of over 100 Pakistani tech firms in the KSA market.

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Saad Shah, CEO of Hexalyze, emphasized the importance of LEAP as a platform to connect with multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia, particularly in sectors like AI, fintech, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and smart cities. These industries in the Kingdom are rapidly growing, creating a lucrative market for Pakistani firms that have already built a strong reputation in software development and digital services.

As Saudi Arabia positions itself as a regional tech powerhouse, LEAP 2025 is emerging as a vital gateway for Pakistani tech startups to expand their footprint across the Middle East and beyond. This expansion is already reflecting in Pakistan’s growing IT export figures, which reached $1.53 billion in the first half of the 2024-25 fiscal year, with projections indicating that this could surpass $4 billion by the end of FY25. This collaboration between Pakistan’s tech sector and Saudi Arabia will surely drive economic growth and technological innovation for both nations.