ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government has announced that U.S. technology giant Google is establishing an office in Pakistan, a move officials say could boost the country's information technology sector and create more opportunities for young people to develop digital skills.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday night, a nine-member Google delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad and laid the foundation stone for the company's office. U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker also accompanied the delegation.

Welcoming the delegation, Shehbaz said Pakistan was undergoing a broad digital transformation that included the digitisation of the economy. He briefed the Google team on the government's "Digital Nation Pakistan" vision and several digitalisation projects currently being developed.

Pakistan-Google partnership to expand

Speaking at the event, Shehbaz said Google's local presence would further strengthen the partnership between Pakistan and the company.

He praised Google's contribution to Pakistan's digital economy, saying the company had helped create meaningful employment opportunities for thousands of young Pakistanis.

Wilson White, Google's representative, said the new office would strengthen the company's commitment to accelerating Pakistan's digital transformation and create long-term opportunities for young people.

He said the office would also help local businesses gain greater access to international markets.

White also highlighted Pakistan's Google Chromebook assembly facility, saying there was strong potential for locally assembled Chromebooks to be exported to other countries in the region.

Pakistan officially inaugurated its first Google Chromebook assembly line in November 2025 at a National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation facility in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Free Google Gemini subscription for students

White announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be offered free of charge to all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement expected later in the week.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz's goal of making Pakistan a $30 billion IT-export hub was aligned with Google's objectives.

According to White, Google has contributed to more than 3.9 trillion Pakistani rupees in economic activity for local businesses and households over the past decade, supporting more than 960,000 jobs.

"This is only the beginning," he said.

Focus on AI, gaming and digital skills

White said Google recognised the significant potential of Pakistan's young population and wanted to expand programmes focused on skills in information technology, artificial intelligence, gaming and other fields.

Technology experts welcomed the development, saying Google's local presence could improve confidence in the company's products, expand digital skills training and potentially accelerate investment in Pakistan's technology ecosystem.

The development has also raised hopes that other international technology companies could follow Google's example and establish a stronger presence in Pakistan.