Gulf countries are pursuing a careful strategy to lessen their reliance on hydrocarbons. Saudi Vision 2030, Qatar National Vision 2030 and UAE's Centennial 2071 all have immense and specific amounts allocated for new industries, and all need partners that bring to them the labour, food, technical expertise, raw materials, and trade routes that their home economies lack. The Gulf-Asian relationship has long rested on migrant workers and the money they send home. That foundation is sound, but the more important question is whether the two sides can build something larger on top of it.

At the intersection of interests.

The diversification programmes are measured in trillions of dollars, and their success is dependent upon supply chains as well as capital. An industrial zone may be supported by a Gulf government but the same government cannot create farmland, or a young workforce, on demand. There are five areas where Pakistan has assets to match these gaps: people, food, digital services, minerals and connectivity. In partnership they outline a relationship that is different than it was a generation ago.

A total of 2.6 million Pakistanis resides and works in Saudi Arabia, 2.2 million in the UAE and over 5.5 million Pakistanis in the whole of the GCC region. They are used in construction works, in hospitals, hotels, offices, workshops and are an integral component in the daily machinery of the Gulf economies. The two economies are very interdependent as remittances by Pakistani workers are on record of $41.6 billion during FY2025-26.

The makeup of this workforce is changing. Pakistan is making an effort to move from a workforce of unskilled workers to trained ones in engineering, health, construction skills, hospitality and information technology. Training and certification is being aligned with the requirements of the Gulf employers by NAVTTC and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. If successful, Gulf-based infrastructure and technology projects have reliable supply of skilled people and Pakistani workers will be paid more for their skills. This is beneficial for both parties, and reduces the risk of boom and bust cycles in the demand for low-skilled workers.

Most of the food consumed in the Gulf countries is imported, and with limited arable land and scarce water resources, this is unlikely to change. Pakistan has approximately 9.1 million hectares (ha) available for cultivation and 22.4 million ha of rangeland and has substantial livestock and fisheries sector. Fit is relatively straightforward.

Such opportunities are available in the fields of corporate farming, livestock, food processing and storage. A lot of the investment required is spent on what lies outside the land–on irrigation, on cold chains, on maritime logistics, in order to get the produce to the markets in the Gulf at predictable prices and in a fresh state. For governments that are worrying about supply shocks, it's a practical approach to diversifying risk by buying from a neighboring nation that has shipping connections. It also provides a reliable buyer for the farmers of Pakistan, a factor which the farmers have been missing.

The technology industry in Pakistan is now contributing to the visible pool of software engineers, IT professionals, freelancers, and companies. In FY2025-26, exports of ICT reached a new high of $4.6 billion. Gulf governments, meanwhile, are putting significant investments into artificial intelligence, financial technology, cyber security and digital trade and they require personnel to develop and operate these systems. The local demand for that talent can be met by Pakistani graduates and companies, either as remote workers, or through partnership ventures or regional offices in the Gulf.

This is likely the one area that can grow the fastest, as digital services are mobile, with no ports or pipelines. It also requires less physical capital than agriculture or mining, consequently development relies significantly on contracts, skills and regulatory comfort.

The mineral riches of Pakistan have been estimated at $6.1 trillion. While that's an estimation, and not necessarily the amount of proven reserves, it means that the amount of resources underground is quite large. The country is known to have the second largest coal reserves in the world, and the seventh largest copper reserves. Copper and gold are particularly important to Gulf planners, as several states seek a foothold in critical minerals as they are building industrial bases that are non-oil based.

The Reko Diq copper-gold project is a good example of this convergence. Saudi Arabia's future investment in Manara Minerals is a move in the right direction of the Gulf capital towards assets Pakistan holds and the Gulf economies desire. The same capital can be used for renewable generation, for mining and industrial development within Pakistan, which could help the country's energy transition. However, the mining projects take years to develop, meaning patience on the part of investors and host government will be necessary.

The other four pillars are connected with geography. The Pakistani coastline at the Arabian Sea provides the Gulf investors with an entry to the South Asian markets and overland access to Central Asia and western China.The coastline of Pakistan at the Arabian Sea offers an access for the investors of the Gulf region to the markets of South Asia and to potential overland routes to Central Asia and western China. Gulf operators are already finding value in Pakistani maritime infrastructure as evidenced by the long-term concessions and investments they have made at Abu Dhabi Ports in Karachi. Karachi and Gwadar can complement each other in connecting the Gulf capital and trade to the wider regional markets.

If the port and logistics infrastructure and transport and digital trade infrastructure are expanded further, supply chains can be established from the Arabian Peninsula through Pakistan to Central Asia and beyond. In that deal Pakistan is not just a market for the goods of the Gulf. It is the bridge between the now-distanced economic regions who trade with each other, and it serves a purpose.

Interest turns into investment only when someone is able to process it. The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) of Pakistan aims to transform the country's sovereign interest into commercial projects through single window coordination and facilitation. The investment protection mechanism is still in its infancy, while trade talks between Pakistan and the GCC are ongoing.

What comes out of those talks will be significant. Regulatory predictability is important to investors and a facilitation body can only do so much if the rules change. Gulf partners will determine the amount of capital that will follow the initial commitments based on the consistency with which the commitments are being fulfilled over the coming few years.

Outlook

The relationship is changing from the model of labour and remittance to a multi-faceted model. Human capital underpins the diversification of the Gulf, agriculture secures food supplies, technology businesses drive digital transformation, minerals boost industrial development and geography creates trade connections. The pillars can support each other. A port investment enhances the food corridor, and the same skilled labourers can be employed at farms, data centres and mining activities.

It won't be easy to deliver – it will be harder to describe. Training programmes must produce the graduates, irrigation must be constructed and cold storage must be established before returns are obtained and the mines must be developed for years before they are able to pay. Despite this, the basis of the argument is not easily refuted. The Gulf is moving beyond hydrocarbons, and wants a partner to supply people, produce, resources and routes. Pakistan is poised to play that part and also act as a bridge between the capital of the Gulf and the rest of the Asian growth corridor.