Pakistan, UAE Deepen Cooperation on Digital Governance and Tax Reform

Dubai: A high-level Government of Pakistan delegation led by Bilal Azhar Kayani, Minister of State for Finance and Railways and Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, concluded an official visit to the United Arab Emirates under the UAE Government’s Experience Exchange Programme (EEP).

The visit aligned with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of institutional reform and modernization of public sector governance.

Mr. Kayani expressed gratitude to the UAE Government for facilitating valuable knowledge-sharing engagements in areas such as digital governance, public service delivery, and tax system modernization. He emphasized the importance of learning from the UAE’s models of governance and innovation.

On the final day of the visit, the Pakistani delegation held detailed sessions with senior UAE officials, including Mr. Mohammad Al Sharhan, Managing Director, World Governments Summit & Director, Government Leaders, and Talents Department, H.E. Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General, Federal Tax Authority (FTA), H.E. Saeed Al Eter, Chair, UAE Government Media Office Dr. Waleed Al Ali, Secretary General, The Digital School, H.E. Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation and officials of the Executive Directorate of Government Performance and Excellence.

Each session provided insights into the UAE’s strategic approach to leadership development, digital transformation, future foresight, and media communication in governance.

Mr. Kayani underscored Pakistan’s commitment to adopting global best practices in digital governance, efficiency, and public sector competitiveness to enhance service delivery and institutional performance.

Led by Bilal Azhar Kayani, the eight-member delegation included Mr. Ali Zahid, Member of the National Assembly, Mr. Mosharraf Zaidi, Chief Coordinator Government Performance and Innovation Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Zarrar Hasham Khan Secretary IT and Telecom and other senior official of the Prime Minister’s Office.

This high-level engagement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 16 June 2025 between the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives—further reinforcing the two nations’ shared commitment to excellence in governance and institutional collaboration.