Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held a bilateral consultative meeting to advance cooperation on building a cashless economy. The meeting brought together the UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, His Excellency Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, and Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance, Bilal Azhar Kayani.
The UAE delegation shared insights into their successful digital payments and collections system, highlighting the Emirates’ experience in expanding the digital economy. On Pakistan’s side, officials presented Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision for a cashless economy and outlined progress already achieved in digital reforms.
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation through technical teams, focusing on digital payments, modern governance, and financial innovation. The discussions also reviewed overall collaboration in advancing digital transformation and governance models.
Bilal Azhar Kayani expressed gratitude to the UAE leadership for supporting Pakistan through knowledge and experience sharing, particularly in the cashless economy.
The meeting was attended by senior UAE officials, including H.E. Ali Abdullah Sharafi, Assistant Undersecretary for International Financial Relations, and Director Suraiya Hamid Al Hashmi. From Pakistan, the delegation included State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal, IT Secretary Zarrar Hasham, Ambassador Faisal Tirmizi, and members of the Karandaz team.
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