Pakistan and Alibaba Partner to Boost AI, Cloud, and E-Commerce Growth

Shehbaz Sharif and Joe Tsai attended the signing ceremony of several strategic agreements and MoUs between Alibaba and Pakistani public and private organizations. The agreements aim to support Pakistan’s digital transformation and technology growth.

On the Prime Minister’s request, Joe Tsai agreed to sign a broad strategic framework agreement between the Government of Pakistan and Alibaba Group. The partnership will focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital trade, fintech, healthcare technology, and support for small businesses.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the partnership is an important step in strengthening economic and technology cooperation between Pakistan and China.

Under the AI and cloud agreement, Ignite and Alibaba Cloud will work together to build AI models for Urdu and regional languages, train 500,000 people in digital skills, and organize AI hackathons and innovation programs.

In healthcare technology, DAMO Academy and Sky47 will introduce AI-based disease screening systems in major Pakistani cities. DAMO Academy and Ignite will also develop AI and embodied intelligence training programs for universities in Pakistan.

To help small businesses grow, Alibaba and SMEDA will help at least 2,000 Pakistani SMEs join a special “Pakistan Pavilion” to access AI-powered business tools and reach global markets.

In the fintech sector, Koko Tech will launch a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service in Pakistan with an initial investment of $3 million to support digital commerce and financial inclusion.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said these agreements would create new opportunities for investment, innovation, jobs, and technology cooperation, while helping Pakistan become a growing regional hub for the digital economy.

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