The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has witnessed the signing of an MOU between the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and Huawei. The aim is to implement a joint project for improving Egypt's performance indicators in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by building digital capacity and fostering the use of AI.
Under the MOU, the two sides will cooperate in preparing a report that includes an analysis of performance in employing AI technologies in Egypt and developing a roadmap to strengthen efforts in advancing AI. The roadmap will comprise an adoption plan for an AI use case and a methodology for building capacity in that field. Huawei will provide expertise in developing AI following best global practices for optimum utilization of the technology.
The MOU was signed by ITIDA Vice President Hossam Osman and Huawei Egypt CEO Jim Liu.
The ICT Minister also witnessed the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and Huawei on cooperation in achieving sustainable digital institutional development for Digital Transformation Units (DTUs) in governorates’ general bureaus.
The LOI builds on MCIT efforts to implement the sustainable digital institutional development plan in governorates to achieve operational excellence and activate DTUs while ensuring work continuity and strengthening the Units' role within government institutions and society. The aim is to create an enabling environment for digital transformation, promote digital culture, and develop the ICT skills of people of different groups.
MCIT and Huawei will cooperate in creating specialized training centers in governorates to train employees and citizens in digital and emerging technologies through digital capacity-building academies known as MCIT-Huawei DTUs. This comes in line with Egypt's vision for achieving digital transformation and institutional development in ministries, governorates, and state agencies to reach an interactive, safe, productive, and sustainable digital society.
Under the LOI, 20 MCIT-Huawei DTUs academies will be created in governorates through a partnership program that allows DTUs to deliver Huawei training courses for employees and citizens.
Huawei will transfer technological knowledge and train and certify selected members from the Units in different governorates. The training will cover different topics such as big data, AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and 5G, among others. It will be provided after passing some assessments for carrying out training programs in the academies, with Huawei providing educational material for training.
The LOI was signed by the Deputy ICT Minister for Institutional Development Ghada Labib and Liu.
Talaat commented that the cooperation with Huawei is part of MCIT efforts to build Digital Egypt following a methodology that involves establishing partnerships with global IT companies. The aim is to expedite the transformation into a digital society by adopting modern technologies and building digital capacity.
Egypt is keen to take measures to promote the use of AI, said the ICT Minister, adding that this helped improve Egypt's ranking on global AI indices. The collaboration with Huawei aims to improve AI indicators in Egypt while developing youth skills in that technology. The aim is to take advantage of AI in finding technological solutions to the challenges facing Egyptian society and train employees in different governorates in digital skills and emerging technologies, stated Talaat.
For her part, Labib underlined that MCIT provides technical support for DTUs in collaboration with state agencies, the private sector, and civil society. The Ministry, cooperating with different institutions, selects personnel for the Units and provides standard operating procedure manuals to ensure operational excellence. In addition, MCIT offers programs for developing the necessary general and special digital skills, she added.
Liu explained that the MOU and LOI represent a major milestone in the journey of cooperation between MCIT and Huawei. They reflect the company's commitment to supporting digital transformation in Egypt. He said that Huawei will continue to provide Egypt with cutting-edge technologies and transfer knowledge, especially for youth. Liu pointed out that signing the MOU and LOI is a testament to the ongoing cooperation between MCIT and Huawei.
ITIDA VP stressed the Agency’s keenness to enhance cooperation with the private sector and global firms to drive growth in the Egyptian IT sector. Osman stated that ITIDA will provide the necessary support in cooperation with Huawei to foster the use of AI in a way that helps improve Egypt’s performance indicators and cultivate professionals in future technologies.
