Tech Cooperation With America Is a Necessity, Not a Choice, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh Tells Pak-US Tech Connect in Dallas
DALLAS: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, did not dress it up. Close ties with America in technology, he told the Pak-US Tech Connect conference on Monday, are “not a matter of choice” for the two countries — they are a necessity. He was speaking at the Wyndham DFW Airport hotel in Irving, where leading Pakistani technology firms had come to present themselves to American executives, investors and technology buyers.
America is the market that matters most
The numbers behind his argument came from Faisal Jeddy, chief executive of the Pakistan Software Export Board. The United States takes roughly 57 percent of Pakistan’s IT exports, Jeddy told the conference, and those exports reached about $435 million in September 2026 alone. Sheikh pointed to the fit between the two countries: both sit among the world’s five most populous nations, and some 60 to 65 percent of Pakistanis are under 30. He even introduced himself, with a smile, as Pakistan’s “chief marketing officer” for the evening.
Not a showcase — a sales floor
This year’s format was deliberately different from the first two editions. Around 13 to 14 established Pakistani companies — among them Abacus, Arbisoft, Addo AI, Nextbridge and Emumba — presented work in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, fintech and enterprise software, then sat down for direct business-to-business meetings with firms from Dallas–Fort Worth and beyond. The event was organised by the PSEB and OPEN Global with the Consulate General of Pakistan in Houston.
Next stops: Washington and Chicago
Tech Connect is now in its third year, having opened this season in Silicon Valley on October 16. After Dallas, the roadshow moves to Washington, DC, on October 21 and Chicago on October 23. The test participants set for it was a practical one: whether handshakes in Texas turn into contracts, partnerships and, back home, new jobs.
