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The afternoon sessions of the PAK-AFRICA Trade Conference 2026 open with one of the most wide-ranging and strategically significant discussions of the day. This session brings together two thematically distinct but deeply interconnected topics: the movement and development of human capital — skilled workers, professionals, and tourists — between Pakistan and Africa; and the ambitious concept of a Pakistan-Iran-SADC Trade Corridor that could fundamentally redefine South-South commercial geography.
The session features a distinguished panel including Irum Tanveer, Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Dr. Shahid, Mohammad Saeed Arbabi, and Saquib Fayyaz Magoon — bringing perspectives from workforce development, education, tourism, and trans-regional trade to bear on one of the conference's most forward-looking conversations.
"Pakistan has millions of skilled workers — engineers, doctors, IT professionals, technicians, teachers — that Africa needs. Africa has millions of tourism destinations, investment opportunities, and natural resources that Pakistan needs. This is not charity; this is commerce, and it benefits both sides enormously."
Pakistan is one of the world's largest exporters of human capital. Over 11 million Pakistanis work abroad, sending home remittances that are the second largest source of foreign exchange after exports. Historically concentrated in the Gulf states, Pakistani overseas workers represent a highly diverse skill base — from unskilled construction workers to qualified engineers, medical professionals, IT specialists, and educators.
African nations, particularly across SADC, face significant skilled labour shortages in healthcare, engineering, construction, education, and information technology. Pakistani professionals and skilled workers, certified to international standards, represent a natural workforce solution for African economies building their infrastructure and social services.
Pakistan's tourism sector is experiencing a remarkable renaissance, driven by the extraordinary natural beauty of the Karakoram Highway, the ancient cities of the Indus civilisation, and the vibrant cultural heritage of the subcontinent. African tourists — particularly from South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, where middle-class consumer spending is surging — represent an underexplored source market for Pakistan's tourism industry.
Conversely, Pakistan-origin travellers to Africa remain a tiny fraction of their potential number, despite Africa's extraordinary wildlife, landscapes, and cultural offerings. Building direct flight connections, visa facilitation, and joint tourism marketing campaigns between Pakistan and SADC nations could generate significant bilateral tourism flows within five years.
Perhaps the most geopolitically and commercially significant concept in this session is the Pak-Iran SADC Trade Corridor. This proposed corridor would connect Pakistan's ports at Karachi and Gwadar, through Iranian territory and ports (particularly Chabahar), across the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, to SADC ports including Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Durban, and Maputo.
The implications are transformative. This corridor would create a direct overland and maritime route linking South Asian manufacturing with East and Southern African markets, bypassing the congested Suez Canal for some trade routes, reducing shipping costs and transit times, and creating new economic corridors through Iran that benefit multiple nations simultaneously.
The inclusion of Mohammad Saeed Arbabi in this panel brings the Iranian commercial and diplomatic perspective. Iran's strategic location — bridging South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East — makes it an indispensable partner in any trans-regional corridor concept. Iran's ports, road networks, and rail infrastructure, combined with Pakistan's production capacity and Africa's market demand, create the physical architecture for a genuinely transformative trade route.
Human capital, tourism, and trans-regional trade specialists
Skills & Human Development Expert
Education & Workforce Leader
Tourism & Development Specialist
Pak-Iran Trade Corridor Expert
Session Moderator
Mediator