Egypt is set to elevate its ICT sector’s contribution to the GDP from 5.8% in the fiscal year 2023-24 to 8% by 2030. Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Amr Talaat, recently underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening the ICT private sector through strategic international collaborations. These efforts aim to establish submarine cables, attract investments in cloud computing, and promote local mobile phone manufacturing.
Initiatives to Promote a Skilled Workforce
To develop a skilled workforce, Egypt has launched an extensive training program targeting the ICT sector. This year alone, the program aims to train 500,000 individuals, with plans to scale up to one million professionals by 2029-30, enhancing the sector’s capabilities.
Additionally, the country plans to increase the number of digital innovation centers to 32 by 2026 to bolster innovation and research.
Outsourcing Industry Growth
The Egyptian government anticipates substantial growth in the outsourcing industry, with the number of ICT specialists expected to rise from 130,000 in 2023 to 550,000 by 2026. Digital exports, currently generating $3.7 billion, are projected to increase to $9 billion by 2026.
Enhancing Egypt’s Digital Infrastructure
To boost the ICT sector’s economic contributions, Egypt is committed to enhancing its digital infrastructure. This includes nationwide broadband coverage expansion, replacing copper networks with fiber optic cables, and increasing the number of mobile towers to 50,000 by 2030.
Furthermore, the Digital Egypt platform will undergo updates to provide improved digital services to citizens, and the Egyptian Post Office network will also be modernized.
Haya Karima Initiative
Under the Haya Karima initiative, Egypt plans to connect 9.3 million buildings with fiber optic cables, upgrade 1,741 post offices, and construct or update 1,981 mobile towers. The initiative also aims to promote digital literacy programs among 500,000 citizens, contributing to the overall advancement of Egypt’s digital landscape.
