On May 28, 2025, ChipXPRT (Private) Limited, a National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) spinoff, is proud to celebrate the first batch of Saudi Engineers from the Chip Design Train-2-Recruit Program , a national initiative led in partnership with the National Semiconductor Hub, the National Academy for Industry , and supported by the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDI) and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Over the course of an intensive 8-month Zero to ASIC journey, 33 talented engineers have been fully trained by our Team, led by Dr. Abid Rafique, in one of the most complex and strategic industries of our time. The hallmark of this training is the full stack skillset imparted to these trainees on Synopys EDA Tools including front end (micro-architure design, RTL design, SoC Integration and Design Verification), Backend (RTL2GDSII), FPGA Validation and Embedded Software. Upon completion of the design and implementation phase, four SoCs with varying functionality are being sent to TSMC for tape-out. This marks a landmark step in national capacity-building, empowering local talent to lead the Kingdom’s semiconductor ambitions under Vision 2030.

We are honored to contribute to this transformation, strengthening the existing strong friendship between Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and look forward to seeing these brilliant minds shape the future of technology in the Kingdom.

A special thanks to our incredible team, Rashid Iqbal, Muhammad Imran, Qamar Moavia, Talha bin Azmat & Malik Ali Haider, for their dedication and hard work— and heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Naveed Sherwani and Dr. Ahmad Alfaifi for their unwavering support throughout this journey.