Prince Fahad announces establishment of Saudi-Pakistan Tech House

Says resources in the country 'very talented' in all fields

Saudi Arabia's Prince Fahad bin Mansour Al Saud on Saturday announced the establishment of a dedicated Saudi-Pakistan Tech House to promote ease of business between the two nations.

The prince, who is a co-founder of the tech giant, ILSA Interactive, founded in 2009 by Pakistani entrepreneur Salman Nasir, made the announcement during a virtual address at the Future Fest 2023 conference.

The establishment of the Tech House serves as an important hallmark of Pakistan-Saudi digital collaboration.

Earlier, the prince had announced more than 300 projects, which he had hoped would create over 1000 jobs for Pakistanis and Saudi Arabians globally.

“I’m deeply honoured to be a part of such a respected and prestigious gathering of the IT industry with thought leaders of Pakistan at the country’s largest tech conference and expo, Future Fest 2023," Prince Fahad said during his address.

"My journey to Pakistan started five years ago to explore the possibilities of establishing an IT company in Lahore," he added.

He maintained that the resources in Pakistan are "very talented in all fields; Technical Resources, User Experience and Quality Assurance resources have been great to work with".

He seemed pleased with the Future Fest 2023 "delegation of Saudi startups" and said that the conference Saudi "venture capitalists will have a chance to meet Pakistani companies and key stakeholders to explore investments, partnerships, acquisitions, and talent recruitment.”

Prince Fahad bin Mansour Alsaud highlighted the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 roadmap under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, which has witnessed a boom in the technology sector.

He emphasised that ILSA Interactive is reflective of the determination of both Pakistani and Saudi leaders to further deepen an existing strategic relationship in all fields with plans to forge partnerships with IT companies, universities and big enterprises in Pakistan.

He confirmed that the House will be headquartered in Riyadh, with its first branch in Lahore.

The prince is a thought leader in entrepreneurship and start-up policy shaping with profound experience as a serial entrepreneur.

He is the president of the Saudi G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (YEA) and the founder of NGO Entrepreneurship Vision, while also being the founder and CEO of Fayvo.