Amr Talaat, Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, revealed ambitious plans to boost Artificial Intelligence's (AI) share of the nation's GDP to 7.7% by 2030. The announcement was made during the annual celebration of the Egyptian Information Telecommunications, Electronics & Software Alliance (EITESAL). Talaat highlighted that Egypt's National AI Strategy is built around several key pillars. The strategy aims to develop advanced digital infrastructure and computational resources to support the Ministry and its partners. Another critical component is fostering an ecosystem of 250 AI startups, establishing frameworks for data governance, and introducing regulatory measures to streamline AI integration across various sectors. Notably, the strategy includes launching a "Cloud First" policy, an Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI, and an open data policy, with initial applications in the justice sector and other industries to follow. A cornerstone of the plan is capacity building, with a strong emphasis on developing a skilled AI workforce. Last year's initiative to train 500,000 individuals in ICT will be expanded to train 30,000 AI specialists by 2030. Talaat also emphasized the importance of societal awareness, aiming for a quarter of government employees to significantly improve performance through AI tools, while ensuring that 36% of citizens use AI in their daily lives. The Minister pointed out that Egypt's strategic push to enhance its ICT sector has already begun to pay off. The country is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for global and regional outsourcing companies, thanks to ongoing investments in technical development and innovation. Talaat noted that outsourcing exports have surged by 80% over the past three years, reaching $4.3bn in 2024. Employment in the outsourcing sector has also risen by 70%, now supporting over 160,000 specialists. The number of outsourcing companies operating in Egypt has tripled in the same period, climbing from 64 to over 180. Building on this momentum, Talaat also announced a new five-year strategy to further grow Egypt's mobile manufacturing sector. The plan aims to expand the number of factories and ramp up device production, boosting local value addition and export potential. Egypt now hosts 14 mobile phone manufacturing plants, with production expected to rise from 3.5 million units in 2024 to 9 million units in 2025. The first exports are projected for late 2025 or early 2026. The strategy focuses on leveraging Egypt's network of free trade agreements, which give manufacturers a competitive edge in the global market. The Minister also celebrated academic achievements, highlighting the successful completion of the first cohort of graduates from Egypt University of Informatics, Africa's first dedicated ICT institution. The university partners with top international institutions to offer dual degrees, positioning Egypt as a hub for world-class technology education. These developments, Talaat said, are paving the way for Egypt to become a leading player in the global AI and ICT landscapes, to use innovation to fuel long-term economic growth.
