The 8th Edition of THE FUTURE SUMMIT commenced with a packed hall at a local hotel in Karachi. Farrukh Amin, Chief Executive Officer, Unity Foods Limited and Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder & Chairman, Nutshell Group, welcomed the audience.
The inaugural session featured an impressive lineup of speakers including Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue; Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson, Pakistan Stock Exchange Ltd.; Yousaf Hussain, President, OICCI and President & CEO, Faysal Bank Limited; Dr. Bakheet Ateeq Al Rumaithi, Consul General of the UAE; and Augie K Fabela II, Founder & Chairman, Board of Directors, VEON.
The speakers focused on the main theme of the conference and shared their diverse views.
In his welcome address, Farrukh emphasized, “What matters now is an economically stable Pakistan. Actions to make Pakistan food secure is what matters. Let us drive Pakistan to a future where food security and sustainability are not just words but actual parameters of success.”
Azfar, reiterating the urgency for partnerships and collaborations, stated, “There is a dire need for collaboration. Private companies should focus on B2B partnerships, and the government should focus on creating an enabling environment.”
Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue, Senator Aurangzeb, highlighted, “We have seen progress in macroeconomic stability, with twin deficits turning into surpluses, stable currency, improved forex reserves, and declining inflation and policy rates.”
Addressing the global perspective for Pakistan, Yousaf said, “OICCI is focused on technology. We have Cloud First Philosophy. Data privacy, global AI standards, and risk management are our priorities.”
Climate & Sustainability, requiring urgent attention, was a significant sub-theme of the Summit. Exploring the same in her keynote address, Dr. Shamshad, said, “Pakistan ranks 27th among countries least prepared to tackle climate change. Climate-related risks range from 1.2% to 4%. Billions of dollars are required for infrastructure repair and reconstruction due to environmental damage.”
Dr. Bakheet words resonated with positivity and enthusiasm, “Pakistan has the best products. We need to add value to these commodities and increase profits for the Pakistani businessmen. Think, plan, and act!”
Commenting on the potential of Pakistan to become globally competitive, Augie stated, “Jazz’s soon to open global Head office in Islamabad is a testament to Pakistan’s story of success, Jazz is honored to be here.”
Talking about sustainability and climate solutions, Sadia Dada, Chief Distribution & Marcomms Officer, K-Electric said, “K-Electric was the first company to publish gender pay gap ratio and is committed to 30 by 30 – reduce 20% emissions by 2030 and ensure 30% of power supply to come from renewable resources.”
Dr. Reza, elaborating on ‘What Matters Now’, said, “Pakistan has faced long-standing fiscal challenges due to a narrow tax base, untargeted government subsidies, and inefficient SOEs. Home grown economic development solutions are necessary as evident from different global examples.”
Saquib Ahmad, Managing Director, SAP Pakistan, Iraq, Bahrain & Afghanistan, moderated the panel discussion, Talk Amongst Titans. Kaan Terzioglu, Group Chief Executive Officer, VEON, said, “It’s been 3 decades that Pakistan has trusted Veon for its telecommunications infrastructure and over these 30 years, Veon has invested 10.7 billion dollars in this beautiful country and we wish to continue with our investment, Pakistan Zindabad!” Summing up the discussion Saquib said, “Technology is changing the world, and along with constitutional amendments, educational reforms are essential in Pakistan.”
Talking of the rising need of vocational training, Syed Amir Ali, Deputy CEO, Meezan Bank Limited, commented on the high demand for skilled workers worldwide. Skilled workforce, he said will contribute to the country’s economic growth through substantial remittances.
With refernce to economy, Ahmad Mobeen, Senior Economist-Asia Pacific, S&P Global Market Intelligence, share his content on the stabilizing trend of the Pakistan economy but insisted on fiscal reforms for sustaianble growth.
From engaging discussions on needed steps for supporting Pakistan’s stance, climate resilience, transformative technology, digital innovation, and financial inclusion, each session underscored the collective commitment to shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. With anticipation building for Day 2, delegates must look forward to diving deeper into the strategic insights and solutions that will continue to guide Pakistan towards new horizons.
Key industry leaders such as William Bao Bean, Managing General Partner of Orbit Startups, and Jimmy Nguyen, Founder & CEO of New Win Global, joined notable figures including Dr. Yanan Wu, CFA, Chairman/CEO of Surfin Meta Digital Technologies Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), and Fama Asad-Said, CEO of Abacus, to share insights at The Future Summit.
Other influential voices like Faisal Mohammed AlShimmari, Head of ESG & Corporate Strategy at Mashreq, Maheen Rahman, CEO of InfraZamin Pakistan, and Prof. Michael Sung, Chairman of CarbonBlue Innovations, highlighted urgent solutions for economic and environmental challenges in Pakistan.
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