WASHINGTON: Pakistan showcased 16 technology companies at a business forum in Washington aimed at expanding commercial partnerships with American firms in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech and healthcare technology.
The Pakistan–US Tech Connect 2026 event brought Pakistani company executives together with representatives of American technology businesses, financial institutions and government agencies.
The forum was organised by Pakistan’s embassy in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Pakistan Software Export Board and OPEN Global.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, said the country wanted to shift the focus of bilateral cooperation towards information technology.
He described the proposed change as a transition from counterterrorism to information technology, arguing that technology partnerships could become a stronger part of Pakistan–US economic relations.
The participating Pakistani firms represented sectors including data analytics, enterprise software, digital transformation and financial technology.
Organisers arranged executive discussions and business-to-business meetings to connect the companies with potential American clients and partners.
Sindh Governor Nehal Hashmi urged participating businesses to pursue concrete commercial opportunities, including pilot projects and contracts.
Pakistan Software Export Board Chief Executive Faisal Jeddy and Ignite Chief Executive Bilal Abbasi also highlighted opportunities for Pakistani technology companies in the US market.
Panel discussions examined how Pakistan’s technology industry could expand beyond outsourced services towards proprietary software, intellectual property and scalable products.
The forum focused on prospective partnerships. Organisers did not announce a consolidated value for contracts signed during the event.