Sindh taps Huawei to build an AI-powered future

. CM Syed Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers and Huawei representatives pose for a photo at Huawei's Lianqiu Lake R&D Center in Shanghai, China. PHOTO: EXPRESS From flood warnings to digital government services, Sindh is seeking to harness artificial intelligence and advanced technology to improve urban management, with the provincial government signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese technology giant Huawei to develop what it describes as Pakistan's first AI-native digital province. The agreement was finalised during Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's visit to Huawei's Lianqiu Lake Research and Development Centre in Shanghai on Friday. It envisages cooperation in digital governance, cloud infrastructure, smart-city solutions, research and development, and technology training for Sindh's youth. "This marks an important shift - from purchasing technology to building it together through joint projects, local capacity, and skills for our youth," Shah said at the signing ceremony. The MoU was signed by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar in the presence of Shah and Huawei Pakistan's chairman. Outlining the first-year priorities, the chief minister proposed a pilot city-operations and flood early-warning platform for Karachi, a roadmap for a provincial government cloud and data centre, an innovation and training centre at Karachi Education City, and ICT skills training and certification for students in partnership with provincial universities. Shah said Karachi, with a population of more than 20 million, needed stronger digital capabilities to improve urban management, monitor emerging problems and respond to emergencies. He cited Wuhan's smart-city model as a potential source of lessons for Karachi. The proposed cloud infrastructure would include data centres, disaster-recovery systems, cybersecurity capabilities and AI computing infrastructure. The government also plans to explore digital public services and data-driven decision-making in urban administration. To oversee implementation, Shah proposed a joint working group with representatives from both sides and a mutually agreed first-year work plan. During the visit, Huawei officials briefed the delegation on research into semiconductor design, wireless networks, 5G and 6G technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. The chief minister invited Huawei to establish research and development facilities or technology laboratories in Karachi, particularly at the proposed Karachi Education City. He also called for collaboration with local universities and technology institutions on research, pilot projects and skills development.