Amr Talaat, minister of information and communication technology, stressed that ICT is essential to transforming Egypt into a sustainable and dynamic economy.

To achieve that, Talaat highlighted his  three-pillar strategy: the digital transformation of Egypt’s economy; capacity building for IT and non-IT individuals; and promoting digital innovation. (See our In Person for more details.)

Talaat also highlighted his ministry’s investments in constructing five fiber-optic marine cables that transfer data between Asia and Europe, bringing the total to 19.

The ministry also doubled the size of inland network cables carrying international traffic from 2,700 kilometers to 5,335 kilometers. It also increased the number of landing stations from seven to 11 to ensure high-speed data transfer between Asia and Europe.

To strengthen the domestic infrastructure, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology increased the number of cellphone towers by 30% and used advanced solutions to improve network strength and capacity. The ministry also connected 18,000 of 33,000 government buildings. It extended fiber optic cables to 3.5 million homes, connecting 58 million citizens to the internet as part of the government's “Decent Life Initiative.” Talaat also highlighted work to upgrade all 4,300 branches of the Egyptian National Post, and adding 117 notary offices and 100 new post offices.

Lastly, Talaat highlighted his ministry’s targets. The primary goal is to ensure the sector continues to double-digit growth, increases exports and improves Egypt's international ICT ranking.