Usman Shaukat, president of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, used the Global SME Summit in Davos to promote Pakistan as an open destination for investment, highlighting the country’s strategic location, strong SME clusters, and government efforts to attract foreign direct investment. He held talks with Swiss and Arab business groups and underscored the role of Pakistan’s industries and services in driving regional growth.
Shaukat emphasized Pakistan’s strategic connectivity, describing the country as positioned at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, with access to the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz that shortens sea routes for landlocked Central Asian nations and western China.
He stressed that Pakistan’s industrial and services sectors, combined with a large and growing domestic market, provide significant potential for regional economic expansion. “Pakistan is open for business,” he told summit participants, presenting the nation as a gateway for trade and investment in the region.
Shaukat highlighted the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises to Pakistan’s economy, pointing to prominent clusters such as Rawalpindi’s pharmaceutical and IT sectors, Sialkot’s surgical and sports industries, and Gujrat’s fan and ceramic manufacturing. He described these SMEs as the backbone of the economy and key drivers of employment and export activity.
During the summit, Shaukat outlined Pakistan’s economic outlook and investment opportunities, drawing attention to the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council and government initiatives aimed at encouraging foreign direct investment. He said these measures are intended to improve the investment climate and facilitate partnerships.
He also engaged in constructive discussions with representatives from the Swiss and Arab Chambers of Commerce to deepen bilateral trade, business linkages and investment ties. “These meetings reaffirmed confidence in Pakistan’s investment climate and opened new avenues for partnerships,” he said, and he expressed appreciation for the support provided by Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Switzerland to the visiting delegation.
Organizers and participants at the Global SME Summit say the event serves as a platform for dialogue, partnerships and knowledge exchange, bringing together stakeholders from across industries and regions to promote innovation, resilience and competitiveness in the SME sector.