HANGZHOU: The Government of Pakistan and Alibaba have signed a series of Memoranda of Understanding to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, cloud technology, healthcare, digital payments and SME development.

The agreements, signed at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, were witnessed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai. The partnerships are aimed at supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation, improving local technology capacity and helping businesses access 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 agreements, Ignite and Alibaba Cloud will work on secure and localized AI and cloud solutions for Pakistan, including AI foundation models for Urdu and regional languages. The cooperation will focus on sectors such as education, healthcare and agriculture.

The partnership 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 on smart agriculture, financial inclusion and Urdu language technologies.

In healthcare, DAMO Academy and Sky47 will introduce AI-enabled screening solutions in Pakistan. The technology uses non-contrast CT scans to help detect lesions linked to diseases including pancreatic and liver cancer. Sky47 plans to roll out the system in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Alibaba.com and SMEDA will work together to help Pakistani SMEs expand into international markets. The initiative 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 also signed an agreement with Ignite to support the introduction and scaling of Buy Now, Pay Later services in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had strong digital potential and could benefit from cooperation in digital inclusion, youth empowerment, agriculture modernisation and financial technology.

Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai said AI, cloud technologies and digital exports could support healthcare, business growth and long-term economic development in Pakistan.

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