Egypt is positioning itself as a regional and increasingly global digital hub, driven by rapid growth in offshoring, artificial intelligence adoption, and large-scale talent development, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amr Talaat said on December 18.
Speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) Luncheon, Talaat said the country’s digital strategy is delivering measurable economic outcomes, including job creation, export growth, and rising investor confidence.
The number of companies operating offshore from Egypt has increased from 90 in 2022 to 240 today, while ICT exports linked to offshoring have nearly doubled, rising from $2.5 billion to $4.8 billion. Commitments announced in 2025 alone are expected to generate 75,000 new jobs, building on previous rounds that exceeded initial targets.
“When companies compare different destinations across the region and the world and still choose Egypt, it is a testimony that the strategy is working,” Talaat said.
Artificial intelligence is a central pillar of the country’s digital transformation. Talaat said Egypt has advanced 46 places on the global AI readiness index following the rollout of its first national AI strategy and the launch of a new six-pillar strategy at the start of 2025.
“Data is the bloodline of AI,” Talaat said, adding that regulation must balance innovation with privacy protection. He cited existing AI applications, including Egyptian Arabic speech-to-text technology with 95% accuracy currently used in courtrooms, as well as AI-assisted early breast cancer detection deployed in hospitals.
Digital government services are also expanding. Talaat said 210 government services are now fully automated through the Digital Egypt platform, which serves around 10 million users. Recent upgrades include new online services for Egyptians living abroad and the elimination of paper-based traffic violation certificates through direct system integration between government agencies. The next phase will introduce secure digital identity verification to enable access to high-trust services remotely.
Egypt’s digital infrastructure remains a key competitive advantage. Talaat said 21 international submarine cables pass through Egyptian territory, carrying more than 90% of East–West data traffic. To enhance resilience, Egypt has diversified cable landing stations across Southern Europe.
Domestically, Egypt ranks first in Africa for average broadband speed while maintaining some of the lowest internet prices on the continent.
Talent development underpins the strategy. Talaat said Egypt is on track to train 800,000 citizens in ICT skills during the current fiscal year, up from just a few thousand annually in 2018. The focus on skills has also supported manufacturing growth, with 15 global mobile brands now producing devices in Egypt. Annual output has reached 10 million units, creating 7,000 jobs.
Talaat framed Egypt’s digital push as a core economic policy rather than a technology initiative.
“Our objective is clear,” he said. “Create jobs, grow exports, modernize government services, and build an ecosystem where digital innovation, especially AI, serves our people.”
As highlighted at the AmCham Luncheon, Egypt’s digital transformation is already functioning as a growth engine, reshaping the country’s role in the global digital economy.
