Pakistan's Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia's National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), as Islamabad's delegation concluded its participation in the LEAP 2026 technology conference in Riyadh.
The agreement was signed by Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and NCA Governor Eng. Majed Al-Mazyed. According to Pakistan's IT ministry, the MoU is aimed at strengthening bilateral cybersecurity cooperation through the exchange of expertise and best practices to address emerging cyber threats.
What the MoU covers
The agreement is intended to help protect the cyberspace and "vital interests" of both countries, the ministry said, and is expected to expand knowledge-sharing between Pakistani and Saudi cybersecurity institutions as digital threats continue to evolve.
Khawaja led Pakistan's delegation at LEAP 2026, held August 31 to September 3 under the "Tech Destination Pakistan" banner. She delivered a keynote address titled "How We Built a Digital Nation," highlighting the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, the country's 5G spectrum auction, and recent connectivity investments. She also held bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia's IT and Communications Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha, along with officials from South Korea and Algeria.
Startup deals and investment
The visit also produced tangible outcomes for Pakistani startups. Ignite-supported education platform Edversity secured a $400,000 investment from Rapidev Group to support its international expansion, the IT ministry said. Separately, OfficeFlow AI, a Pakistani business-automation platform, signed an incubation partnership with Dhahran Techno Valley and reached a separate agreement with Saudi technology services firm MIS Arabia.
Pakistan's pavilion at the event featured 25 startups and more than 50 Pakistani technology companies. The ministry said the trip was aimed at promoting the country's digital talent and expanding international market access for its technology sector.
Why it matters
The cybersecurity MoU comes as Pakistan's technology exports have grown significantly, reaching a record $4.6 billion in fiscal year 2026, according to the Pakistan IT Industry Association. It also builds on a broader deepening of Pakistan-Saudi ties, including the strategic mutual defence agreement the two countries signed in September 2025.
Khawaja separately met Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, president of Saudi Arabia's Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), where both sides agreed to continue discussions on a broader partnership covering artificial intelligence and data governance. No separate agreement was signed during that meeting.
