The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has held several meetings on the sidelines of the Global DPI Summit, hosted by Egypt at the New Administrative Capital on October 1-3.
He met with the Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Marina Walter, and the UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt Alessandro Fracassetti. They discussed fostering cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and UNDP in digital infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
During the meeting, Talaat underlined Egypt’s remarkable progress in establishing the components of “digital access systems” to provide citizens with secure and efficient access to digital services. This progress includes developing information infrastructure, connecting over 120 government databases.
Talaat also noted the implementation of the Government-to-Government (G2G) project, which enables a secure and accurate government data exchange. In addition, Egypt has launched a digital payment system, a digital identity system facilitating citizens’ access to services, and the Digital Egypt platform that offers a wide range of digital government services. He underlined efforts to introduce two additional components to the system: the digital treasury and registered email, providing citizens with secure channels for receiving government correspondence.
For her part, Walter emphasized Egypt’s leadership in digital public infrastructure (DPI), praising its success stories and pivotal role in this field, beginning from initial design to application. She also commended the advancements in AI and the country’s strong commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce in this field.
The meeting also outlined Egypt’s efforts to promote the use of AI in creating innovative technological solutions and the significance of sharing knowledge and expertise in AI with the country.
The meeting was attended by the Assistant ICT Minister for Strategy and Implementation Sherine El-Guindy, the Advisor to the ICT Minister for Research and Development (R&D) Noha Adly, the Head of the Central Administration for Financial and Administrative Affairs at MCIT Samer Saeed, the Head of Digital and AI Programs at UNDP Chief Digital Office Keyzom Massally, and UNDP Egypt Assistant Resident Representative and Inclusive Growth and Innovation Team Leader Abeer Shakweer.
In a similar vein, the ICT Minister received the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Tomas Lamanauskas. They discussed avenues for strategic and future MCIT-ITU cooperation.
The meeting spotlighted Egypt’s membership in the submarine cable alliance, with the country recognized as a leading hub for global submarine cable connectivity. The two sides also reviewed the alliance’s key activities.
During the meeting, the ICT Minister referred to Egypt’s participation in the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), which will be held in New Delhi, India, on October 14-24. He underscored Egypt’s pivotal role as an engaged ITU member, actively participating in the Union’s events and activities.
Lamanauskas thanked Talaat and the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) for their ongoing cooperation and unwavering support of ITU activities. He also highlighted the significant contributions of Egyptian experts serving in leadership roles within ITU study groups.
Furthermore, Lamanauskas valued Egypt’s efforts in hosting the first edition of the Global DPI Summit, which will be organized annually by ITU. He praised the country’s prominent role in hosting major conferences and events, including the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) and the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-23). Additionally, Lamanauskas also expressed his gratitude for Egypt’s establishment of the ITU Regional Office for Arab States in Smart Village.
The meeting was attended by Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs and International Security Amr Aljowaily, the Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt Mohamed Nasr, and the Director of the ITU Regional Office for Arab States Adel Darwish.
Furthermore, the ICT Minister met with the Co-founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys Nandan Nilekani, who has been instrumental in driving India’s digital revolution and served as the Founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. The meeting explored opportunities for cooperation and investment in Egypt.
The meeting explored partnership and collaboration opportunities between MCIT and Infosys, in light of Egypt’s competitive advantages in the offshoring industry. A key advantage includes the availability of skilled Egyptian professionals specialized in exporting IT services. The two sides also discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation in digital capacity building.
Talaat explained that Egypt is a premier global destination for the offshoring industry, pointing to MCIT commitment to offering initiatives and training programs designed to enhance digital skills and qualify youth to secure careers in IT service exports. He highlighted the national efforts to adopt modern technologies and digitize more public services.
For his part, Nilekani praised the modern technological systems driving digital transformation in Egypt and emphasized his company’s efforts in the offshoring industry to serve its worldwide clientele. He also stressed the company’s focus on building digital capacities and providing training programs accessible to all through a digital platform.
It is worth noting that Infosys is an Indian multinational technology company, with clients in 56 countries worldwide.
The meeting was attended by the CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) Ahmed Elzaher, El-Guindy, and the CEO of the Center for Open Societal Systems (COSS) M.C. Ramesh.
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