Saudi-Pakistani cybersecurity agreement at LEAP 2026: digital corridor to protect infrastructure and flow of automation solutions
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The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications of Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity with the National Cybersecurity Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the sidelines of the LEAP 2026 technology conference in Riyadh. The agreement aims to exchange expertise and apply best practices for dealing with emerging cyber threats, a step that reflects the accelerating institutional coordination to protect expanding digital infrastructure alongside the flow of digital transformation and artificial intelligence investments in the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030 targets.
Expanding cyber and technical coordination channels between Riyadh and Islamabad coincides with a surge in Pakistan's technology exports, which reached $4.6 billion in fiscal year 2026.The conference, which attracted more than 1,800 technology brands, 600 startups and 1,900 investors between August 31 and September 3, saw the launch of the “Pakistan Tech Destination” pavilion with 25 startups and over 50 companies specializing in artificial-intelligence, automation and digital-technology solutions, aimed at facilitating commercial partnerships, attracting international investment and expanding access to regional markets.
The participation was translated into direct operational agreements, as the Pakistani platform OfficeFlow AI, which specializes in business automation, signed a partnership and incubation agreement with the Dhahran Valley for Technology to develop and expand AI-powered automation platforms across the region, alongside a deal with M.I.S. Arabia, which provides technical services to major clients such as Aramco. At the same time, the smart-education platform Edversity, backed by the Pakistan Ministry’s Ignite programme, secured $400,000 in investment from Rapidev Group to accelerate its international expansion and develop its software infrastructure.
Building shared regulatory and cyber bridges gives Gulf institutions a secure environment to integrate automation solutions and third-party software into their critical networks.This coordination directly impacts information-security managers and technology leaders in the region, as cooperation between national bodies reduces software-supply-chain risks and enables testing of smart-model integration before adoption in critical sectors such as energy and logistics. It also allows Gulf and local companies to benefit from regional automation outputs through domestic incubation channels, rather than relying exclusively on costly Western enterprise solutions.
The visit, led by Pakistan’s Minister of Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, included bilateral meetings with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Suwaha, Algerian Minister of Knowledge Economy and Small-and-Medium Enterprises Dr. Nour Eddine Wadih, South Korean Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning Bai Kyung-Hun, and the Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization Dima Al-Yahya, reinforcing Riyadh’s position as a hub for technical and sovereign partnerships between Asia and the Middle East.