The signing of the partnership agreement between Etisalat Egypt and Kharafi's Arab Company for the Manufacture of Computers. (Photo courtesy of the Etisalat Egypt) Etisalat Egypt and the Arab Company for the Manufacture of Computers, a subsidiary of Kharafi Group, have signed a partnership agreement to manufacture the first tablet computer to be completely manufactured in Egypt. The new device is planned to be offered at a consumer-friendly price through Etisalat outlets, with special internet offers available. At the signing ceremony were the ministers of communications and information technology, industry and foreign trade and the chairman of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Yasser El-Kadi. The CEO of Etisalat Egypt, Saeel Al Hamli, said he was proud of the partnership with the Kharafi Group and one of the largest companies in the field of information technology and smart device manufacturing in the Arab region. He said the partnership would inject confidence to the economy, which requires the cooperation of major corporations to achieve growth. “The tablet device is a replacement option for textbooks for primary and secondary students," said Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Hani Mahmoud. Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade, Hatem Saleh, said the partnership could help Egypt move to a new stage of innovative and unconventional thinking. “This partnership comes as a new shift for the telecommunications industry in Egypt and presents new prospects for Egyptian education by providing students with a new a new level of education that is on par with developed countries." The executive director of the Kharafi Group for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Khalid Khurshid, said over the past eight years his company's investments in the Egyptian ICT sector have “exceeded EGP 2 billion, providing high calibre products and integrated educational solutions for individuals and institutions." He added that during this period, the sector successfully trained 20 specialist engineers as well as 600 technicians, which he considered “one of the largest gains" for the sector.
