Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Sunday met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy Faisal Al-Ibrahim on the sidelines of the Al-Ula Conference, where the two discussed investment and technological cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia expressed strong interest in benefiting from Pakistani talent in artificial intelligence and technology, with Al-Ibrahim describing Pakistani tech professionals as among the top two in the world.

The Saudi side also signalled interest in hiring Pakistani experts to support its technological transformation efforts.

The capabilities of Pakistani technology talent were also recognised by Eric Schmidt, according to the discussion.

Pakistan said it plans to develop a technology-focused human resource pipeline for global markets, including Saudi Arabia.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement, with FM Aurangzeb highlighting its importance for boosting trade and exchanges between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

FM Aurangzeb paid tribute to the Saudi government for organising the Al-Ula Conference.