UAE: Pakistan looks to export more skilled workforce, says ambassador

Pakistan is looking to export a more skilled workforce to the UAE, especially in the field of IT, said Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s ambassador to UAE.

“Pakistani nationals have played a key role in the development of the UAE. Now we have to look forward to further strengthening ties with the UAE. There are a good number of Pakistani workers already serving in the fields of engineering, aerodynamics and IT in the UAE. We need to supply more such workforce as the emirate requires more skilled professionals, going forward,” the ambassador during an interaction with the Pakistani media in Dubai.

The UAE is currently home to 1.7 million Pakistanis, the second largest country to house the South Asian diaspora.

“I believe that the IT sector and tourism are two low-hanging fruits that the country should capitalise on. There is a huge potential in the tourism sector in Pakistan as the country is home to holy places of Buddhism and Hinduism,” said Tirmizi.

Since the government is strongly focused on making the UAE a knowledge-based economy, recruiters in the country claim that going forward, the demand for professionals is expected to grow faster as adopting AI and machine learning will make many jobs obsolete.

Highlighting strong bilateral ties, the Ambassador further pointed out that Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif recently spoke to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and thanked him for providing budget support of $1 billion, which is a reflection of good ties between the two countries.

He further added that the UAE and Pakistan were also discussing an exchange of offenders agreement and could reach the deal soon.

Cepa deal soon

The ambassador revealed that the two countries have made good progress on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) and the agreement is expected to be signed soon.

“We have made major progress on Cepa. There are some reservations on both sides and we hope it would be concluded very soon,” he said, adding that if all goes well, the two countries could sign the agreement in the second half of this year.

ALSO READ:

• Pakistan's win against India reflects the depth of talent in the country, says PCB chief

• Pakistan thrash India by 128 runs to win ACC Men's Emerging Cup title

• World
• Newsletters
• Pakistan