Google has inaugurated its first local office in Pakistan at a ceremony held at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad, attended by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the US Chargé d'Affaires in Pakistan, and a Google delegation led by the company's global affairs vice president Wilson L. White.

White described the opening as a significant moment for the company's relationship with the country. "Google has been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade, and today we have reached a milestone where we are opening a local office," he said. He announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be made free for all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement to follow later in the week.

Google outlined three areas of focus for its Pakistan operations: investing in people through digital skills training; investing in manufacturing and infrastructure to support hardware exports; and supporting local businesses. The company said its upskilling initiatives have already equipped more than one million teachers, students, developers, and creators with digital skills, and that its programmes have contributed Rs3.9 trillion in economic benefits to Pakistani businesses and households, sustaining 965,000 jobs.

Farhan Qureshi, cluster director for Google Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand, said the local presence would deepen Google's commitment to accelerating Pakistan's digital transformation. Prime Minister Shehbaz described the opening as a stepping stone towards a long-term collaboration, noting that Pakistan was undergoing a major digital transformation and that he saw great scope for a fruitful partnership.