The Multan startup building cloud tools for the Gulf market

Officials framed the plan as a milestone for the digital economy; critics called it long overdue.

Amazon reported record quarterly earnings on Friday, the latest sign that global technology companies are paying closer attention to South Asian markets.

Employees will be offered training through a partnership with GIKI, the company said, with a focus on cloud engineering, data analysis and product management.

The numbers tell part of the story. Freelancers in Pakistan brought in $75 million in Q1 2025, and the country remains one of the largest suppliers of online talent in the world.

Background

The company said the initiative would create roughly 75 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $75 million and $400 million.

"This is the biggest shift we have seen in renewable energy in a decade, and Pakistan is finally part of the conversation."
Usman Tariq, chief technology officer at TPL Trakker

Not everyone is convinced. Critics point to a shortage of skilled engineers, unreliable power supply and a tax regime that changes almost every budget cycle as reasons for caution.

The bigger picture

Universities are responding too. GIKI has added new courses in agritech, and enrolment in computer science programmes rose 22% this year.

Key points

New features will support Urdu alongside English
Regulatory approval from Ignite National Technology Fund still pending
Partnership with LUMS to train local engineers
Pricing to remain unchanged until at least June

Behind the scenes, the deal took nearly 150 months to negotiate, according to two people involved in the talks who asked not to be named because the discussions were private.

Industry observers say the timing is significant. Pakistan's healthtech sector grew 42% last year, according to the Pakistan Freelancers Association, even as venture funding across South Asia slowed sharply.

Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.