Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was perhaps right not to speak of his views on solarization as a guest of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, but he showed the modernity of his vision by telling the plenary session of the 8th Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh on Tuesday that the future belonged to a knowledge-based economy based on innovation in artificial intelligence, health and education. All of these are truisms, but they need to be operationalised. How exactly this is to be done depends on how far the government is willing to prepare the population for the changes that are to come.
An important point that Mr Sharif made was that this could only be achieved if countries cooperated in this. This would apply to sharing technology as well as best practices. This could become a new form of neo-colonialism, if certain countries were seen the sources of both, as at present, which allows them also to exercise a cultural dominance as if clothes were substitute for technology, or mores were a substitute for best practices. Mr Sharif said that this was only possible if countries cooperated together, this implies a free exchange of knowledge even though it will have become the most valuable commodity in the world. Mr Sharif has a powerful point: it requires the best ideas to solve the world’s problems, ans it will not matter where those ideas come from. The current model is of hanging on to ideas, keeping technology secret, and weaponizing it so as to use against the enemy. However, as Pakistan is experiencing, the problems of today require solutions involving old rivals. To take a small example, there is no wy Pakistan or India can solve their smog problem on their own.
This requires a change in mindset among those who might have a vested interest in conflict. It is essential that they realize that their future is bleak unless they are ready to change. This includes all those who support outdated technologies, like the oil lobby. There must be a willingness to change, an open-ness to innovation, among decision-makers. In this respect, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, the host of this event, shows realism, in looking to future for his country in a world where oil no longer drives the world’s economies. Though what Mr Sharif said was revolutionary, it was also hardheaded realism. Now what he has to do is walk the talk.
