HANGZHOU: Pakistan and Alibaba have signed a series of strategic Memoranda of Understanding to accelerate artificial intelligence development, cloud services, digital skills, healthcare technology, e-commerce and financial inclusion.
The agreements were signed at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, and witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai. The partnerships are aimed at supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation, strengthening local technology capacity and helping small businesses reach global markets.
Pakistani signatories included Ignite National Technology Fund, Sky47 and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority. Alibaba-side signatories included Alibaba Cloud, DAMO Academy, Alibaba.com and Koko Tech.
Under the AI and cloud partnership, Ignite and Alibaba Cloud will work on secure and localized technology solutions for Pakistan, including AI foundation models for Urdu and regional languages. The initiative will focus on sectors such as education, healthcare and agriculture.
The cooperation also includes nationwide AI and cloud training programmes for 500,000 people, including developers, students and public sector employees. Both sides will also co-host an AI hackathon for young developers focused on smart agriculture, financial inclusion and Urdu language technologies.
In healthcare, DAMO Academy and Sky47 will introduce AI-enabled screening solutions in Pakistan. The system uses non-contrast CT scans to help detect lesions linked to diseases including pancreatic and liver cancer. Sky47 plans to roll out the technology in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
Alibaba.com and SMEDA will work together to support Pakistani SMEs in global trade. The partnership will provide AI-powered digital trade training to 10,000 businesses and onboard at least 2,000 SMEs through a dedicated Pakistan Pavilion on Alibaba.com.
Koko Tech, a Daraz Group company, has signed an agreement with Ignite to introduce and scale Buy Now, Pay Later services in Pakistan. The company plans to invest $3 million to expand digital payment services and create local employment.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had strong digital potential and could benefit from cooperation in digital inclusion, youth empowerment, agriculture modernization and financial technology.
Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai said AI, cloud technologies and digital exports could help improve healthcare, empower businesses and support long-term economic development in Pakistan.
