Egypt Launches $12 Billion Digital Strategy Focused on AI, Data Centers, and 5G Expansion

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened on Saturday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendi, and senior military signals leadership to outline the country's comprehensive digital transformation strategy. With a vision to establish Cairo as a leading regional technology hub, the government is heavily investing in massive cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and enhanced child online safety regulations.

Strategic Goals and Digital Exports

Egypt aims to achieve eight billion dollars in digital exports by 2028, alongside outsourcing services expected to reach US $12 billion by 2029. Furthermore, the state is working to expand its electronics design presence to encompass 120 companies by 2030.

Infrastructure and AI Acceleration

President Sisi instructed officials to accelerate investments in hyper-scale data centers, advanced cloud computing, and the nationwide rollout of 5G networks. The administration is also progressing with “Karnak,” its flagship national AI initiative aimed at securing digital sovereignty and developing indigenous generative AI models in Arabic.

Unified Smart Government Services

The government is broadening the reach of the Unified Government Services Card, collaborating closely with the Ministry of Supply to integrate databases and simplify citizen access to essential public services.

Enforcing Child Digital Protections

Minister Hendi presented the progress on the joint NTRA-SCMR decree released on September 17, which prohibits social media accounts for children under 13 and enforces mandatory “Safe Mode” features for users between the ages of 13 and 15.

Transparent Talent Development

While evaluating the “Digilians” presidential initiative—administered in partnership with the Egyptian Military Academy—Sisi emphasized the necessity of strict neutrality, transparency, and precision in candidate evaluations to properly prepare youth for competitive technology careers.