Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yasser El-Kady met with major information and communications technology (ICT) companies to discuss investment opportunities in Egypt on the sidelines of the 2018 Mobile World Congress (MWC), held in Barcelona from 26 February to 1 March. El-Kady met with Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA, where they discussed the latest developments and policies regulating the mobile market at the local and international levels. The minister reviewed Egypt's experience in launching 4G services and his ministry's preparations and studies to provide 5G services. El-Kady also met CEO of Cisco Systems, Chuck Robbins, where they discussed Egypt's strategy for digital transformation, including undergoing initiatives and megaprojects. These projects include telecommunications infrastructure, technological parks in different governorates, and the under-construction Knowledge City in the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo, which will host branches of foreign universities and research, innovation, and entrepreneurship centres along with a science park. Robbins said that his company supports digital transformation projects through the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) initiative, applied in 18 countries around the world, including the UK, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and India. The two sides agreed to apply the CDA initiative in Egypt, in light of the United Nations decision to establish its African Technology Innovation Lab (UNTIL) in Egypt. Moreover, El-Kady met with Risto Siilasmaa, chairperson of Nokia, where they discussed the company's activities in Egypt and future investment plans. The two sides reviewed the new ICT projects that are currently being implemented in Egypt, while El-Kady stressed the Egyptian market's readiness to launch 5G services. El-Kady reviewed with Siilasmaa the presidential initiative for the design and manufacture of electronics called "Egypt Manufactures Electronics", aimed at providingthe local market with electronic products and exporting them to global markets. The minister also shed light on the manufacture of the first Egyptian mobile phone with 45% local components. El-Kady invited Nokia to attend the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), to be held from 28 October to 22 November 2019 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
