The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has held the first coordination meeting of the national group on the preparation of Egypt's National Digital Development Report as part of the Arab Digital Development Report (ADDR) 2021 of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The meeting was organized at MCIT headquarters in Smart Village.
The report will be released in 2022, presenting the efforts made to achieve digital development in all areas related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Representatives of 25 ministries, government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in the meeting, namely the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Manpower, and the Ministry of Health and Population, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Egypt Post, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA), the National Council for Women, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), the National Press Authority, the National Media Authority (Maspero), the Digital Economy and Technology General Division (DETGD) of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC), the Arab Council for Social Responsibility (ACSR), and the Egyptian Information, Telecommunications, Electronics and Software Alliance (EITESAL).
The meeting stressed that Egypt’s participation in the report is of paramount significance, and it discussed the national efforts and progress made in digital development in Egypt, which positively reflects on the country’s ranking on regional and international indices of digitization and technology. The progress made will, also, help boost the national economy and improve the country’s position in the international arena.
The attendees commended the achievements made in digital development and in bringing about digital and financial inclusion for citizens and institutions in Egypt, intending to build a safe and productive digital society.
It is worth noting that the first edition of the Arab Digital Development Report was released in 2019 under the title “Arab Digital Development Report 2019: Towards Empowering People and Ensuring Inclusiveness,” featuring 10 countries, including Jordan, the UAE, Tunisia, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Kuwait and Mauritania. Egypt is participating in the report for the first time this year.
