The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat and the Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno have witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Egyptian National Library and Archives. The cooperation aims to make several digitized books from the Egyptian National Library and Archives available on Egypt’s digital heritage platform.
The protocol was signed by the Vice ICT Minister for Infrastructure and Digital Transformation Raafat Hindy, and President of the National Library and Archives and Acting Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Culture Osama Talaat.
Under the protocol, approximately 11,300 digital copies of selected books from the Egyptian National Library and Archives will be accessible via Egypt’s digital heritage platform. These books have been digitized by MCIT following the platform’s technological standards, with measures in place to protect their intellectual property rights (IPRs).
In his remarks, the ICT Minister underlined the ongoing collaboration between MCIT and the Ministry of Culture, characterized by continuous communication and shared commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to promote all forms of culture among citizens. The protocol, he noted, aims to facilitate the accessibility of the National Library and Archives’ cultural content through Egypt’s digital heritage platform. He added that MCIT is preparing to launch the platform, which aims to enrich Egypt’s cultural heritage and strengthen the country’s cultural leadership, helping enhance its soft power.
For his part, Hanno highlighted that the protocol marks the first step towards fruitful collaboration in digitization, documentation, and training. He underscored the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to making cultural content available to everyone, thus supporting human development.
Hanno noted that the near future will bring significant advancements to platforms delivering cultural and artistic content. Efforts will include collaborating with MCIT to enable digital access to the works of renowned authors at reduced prices and build multiple digital platforms for showcasing and discovering Egyptian talents.
The three-year protocol encompasses reviewing the Arabic and English metadata of approximately 11,3000 digitized books of the National Library and Archives. Their suitability for Egypt’s digital heritage platform will be assessed while protecting IPRs.
Following the signing ceremony, the two ministers held an extensive meeting with officials from the two ministries to review the implementation strategy for the areas of cooperation. They discussed recent progress in digitizing the content of various departments within the Ministry of Culture, including the National Library and Archives, the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO), Cairo Opera House, the Academy of Arts, and the Fine Arts Sector. The objective is to launch such content on Egypt’s digital heritage platform and ensure its accessibility to the public.
During the meeting, the initial concept for the ‘virtual cultural palace’ was also reviewed, highlighting the materials and services it will offer to engage new generations of youth and innovators. In addition, the possibility of hosting cultural and innovative events at MCIT Creativa Innovation Hubs in Cairo, Giza, and other governorates was examined, with participation from various sectors of the Ministry of Culture.
The meeting delved into methods for documenting the Cairo Opera House’s rich heritage and visual arts, establishing virtual museums, and leveraging AI for translation. It also addressed developing digital platforms for promoting books and converting them into audiobooks, collaborating on institutional development within the Ministry of Culture, training the cultural sector workforce, organizing cultural and artistic events, and creating platforms for promoting and introducing heritage products.
From MCIT, the meeting was attended by the Vice ICT Minister for Institutional Development Ghada Labib, Assistant ICT Minister for Strategy and Implementation Sherine El-Guindy, Advisor to the ICT Minister for Technological Talents Hoda Baraka, Advisor to the ICT Minister on Digital Transformation Mahmoud Badawi, Advisor to the ICT Minister for Research and Development (R&D) Noha Adly, Head of the Digital Heritage sector Hisham El-Deeb, and Head of the Central Department for Automated Projects Mahmoud Fakhr El-Din, along with other officials.
From the Ministry of Culture, GEBO Chairman Ahmed Bahi Aldin, the Chairperson of Cairo Opera House Lamiaa Zayed, the Head of the National Center for Translation Karma Sami, the Director of the Central Department of the Minister’s Office Ahmed Saudi, the Assistant Minister of Culture for Development, Investment and Cultural Industries Mohamed Abdel Dayem, and the Manager of the Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) Neveen Fekry joined the meeting.
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