Egypt's Ministries of Communications and Information Technology and Culture have signed a memorandum of understanding to make digital copies of books from the National Library of Egypt available through the "Egypt Digital Heritage" platform. The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, with Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and Ahmed Hanno, Minister of Culture, in attendance. The agreement was signed by Raafat Hindy, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Infrastructure, and Osama Talaat, Chairperson of the Egyptian National Library and Archives. The memorandum aims to make approximately 11,300 digitised books from the National Library available on the "Egypt Digital Heritage" platform, which was developed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Ministry conducted the digitization process in accordance with technological standards and respecting intellectual property rights. "The cooperation between the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology and Culture is constantly expanding due to the ongoing communication and shared understanding of the importance of using modern technology to disseminate culture in all its forms among citizens," said Talaat. He added that the agreement will enrich Egypt's digital cultural content and maintain its cultural leadership. "This will help to strengthen Egypt's soft power," Talaat noted. Hanno highlighted the significance of this partnership. "The Ministry of Culture will exert its utmost efforts to make cultural products accessible to all," he said. "This will contribute to the development of Egyptian citizens." Hanno also emphasised the role of digital platforms in expanding access to cultural content. "The coming period will witness a qualitative shift in platforms that offer cultural and artistic content," he said. "We are planning to collaborate with the Ministry of Communications to make the works of prominent writers available digitally at affordable prices, as well as to establish multiple online platforms to showcase and discover Egyptian talent." The memorandum will be in effect for three years and includes the review of metadata for approximately 11,300 books from the National Library, digitised by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The memorandum also includes ensuring that the books are suitable for inclusion on the "Egypt Digital Heritage" platform while respecting intellectual property rights. Following the signing ceremony, the two ministers held a meeting with leadership from both ministries to discuss implementation steps, including the latest developments in digitizing content held by various departments under the Ministry of Culture, such as the Egyptian National Library and Archives, the Opera House, the Academy of Arts, and the Fine Arts Sector. The goal is to make this content available to the public through the "Egypt Digital Heritage" platform. The meeting also explored a proposed model for a "Digital Cultural Palace" that would offer content and services tailored to younger generations and creators. They discussed the possibility of hosting cultural and creative events in Egypt's digital innovation centres, which are managed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Cairo, Giza, and other governorates, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture. Other topics discussed included ways to document the rich heritage of the Egyptian Opera House, create virtual museums, leverage artificial intelligence for translation, establish online platforms for book marketing and audiobooks, collaborate on institutional development for the Ministry of Culture, and train cultural workers. They also explored the possibility of creating platforms to market and promote heritage products.
