The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat—during his participation in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (ITUPP) held in Dubai—met, today, with the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha to discuss joint cooperation between the two countries in the ICT field.
The meeting was attended by the Vice President of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) El-Sayed Azzouz and a number of officials from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) from Egypt, and the Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC)Abdulaziz bin Salem Al Ruwais, from Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, Talaat highlighted the depth of relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the significance of enhancing these relations through fostering cooperation between the two countries in all fields, especially in the ICT field. He hailed developments in the ICT fields in Saudi Arabia and joint coordination between the two countries in international issues related to this field.
Talaat reviewed Egypt's strategy for digital transformation, implemented by MCIT in cooperation with the State’s various sectors to provide advanced government e-services. This is in addition to extending fiber cables to secondary schools to develop the education system using ICT and providing an advanced IT system for the health sector. He pointed out that Port Said Governorate is being transformed into a smart digital city, and government services are provided to citizens through four related channels: mobile applications, e-government portal, call centers, and Egypt Post. In this context, he referred to the close cooperation between Egypt Post and Saudi Post in several areas, including the service of international remittances to facilitate the transfer of the funds of Egyptians residing in Saudi Arabia to Egypt. He underscored the significance of enhancing cooperation between Egypt Post and Saudi Post at all levels.
During the meeting, Talaat highlighted MCIT interest in building the capabilities of Egyptian young people and refining their technological skills to bridge the gap between the requirements of the labor market and the outcomes of the educational process.
For his part, Alswaha reviewed the developments in the Saudi ICT sector, particularly in the field of promoting e-commerce, implementing the unified health file and implementing a pilot project for technological development in schools. He also hailed the Egyptian efforts to achieve the transition to digital society.
The meeting discussed the significance of coordinating joint positions in the field of Internet governance, cooperation and exchange of experiences between the two countries in the areas of cybersecurity and building the capacities of young people in specialized technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AL). The meeting also discussed the possibility of forming an Egyptian- Saudi business council, comprising Egyptian and Saudi ICT companies to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the provision of digital government services, especially in the fields of education and health care.
At the end of the meeting, Talaat invited Alswaha to visit Egypt to get acquainted with the achievements made in the Egyptian ICT sector and learn about the leading Egyptian experience in this field. Alswaha accepted the invitation, promising to visit Egypt soon.
In addition, Talaat met with the Russian Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Konstantin Noskov, where the meeting tackled joint cooperation in related ICT fields, especially in electronics manufacturing, capacity-building, benefiting from the Russian experience and sharing experiences in digital financial inclusion, and Fifth-Generation (5G) experiments in both countries.
During the meeting, Talaat reviewed the role of the ICT sector in achieving the transition to digital society and dveloping the national economy by improving the ICT infrastructure, providing digital methods, and enabling the State’s various sectors to provide high quality government e-services. This is in addition to developing young people digital skills, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship and improving services provided in education and health care.
The ICT Minister also referred to the projects implemented by MCIT to increase exports of ICTs, increase the contribution to GDP, provide more employment opportunities for young people. The projects include establishing technology parks, developing areas related to electronics designing and manufacturing and building the City of Knowledge, based on the latest technologies, in addition to other projects.
For his part, Noskov welcomed the joint cooperation between the two countries in the ICT field; expressing the wish of a number of Russian companies to invest in Egypt in the electronics industry.
The two ministers agreed on implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries in the ICT field and developing a key action plan based on a specific timetable. The meeting also discussed the investment opportunities available in the Egyptian ICT sector, incentives and facilities offered to investors to attract Russian investments to Egypt and encourage Russian companies to establish in Egypt call centers, where highly qualified Egyptian calibers can be employed to provide services to their customers in Arab and African regions.
The ICT Minister also held bilateral meetings with the Sudanese Minister of Communications and Information Technology Beshara Juma and the South Korean Minister of Science and ICT
You Young Min.
