Cairo, Egypt: Egypt’s ICT sector is fast becoming a magnet for global investment, especially with its skilled workforce and proven track record. Egypt is on its journey to becoming a go-to destination for Information Technology companies that are seeking to expand their global delivery operations.

On the sidelines of the Egypt-EU Investment Conference in Cairo, Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Telecom Egypt, and Nokia. The agreement aims to expand Nokia’s operations in Egypt and enhance its capabilities in innovation and export services. The signing ceremony was also attended by Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

Central to this collaboration is the establishment of an IP Excellence Center in Egypt, strategically positioning the country as a hub for IT services. Initially serving approximately 60 countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, the Center will expand to Europe and beyond, significantly boosting Egypt’s ICT services exports. Led by top Egyptian engineering talent, the Center will focus on automating IP networks, advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI), and software development for Nokia’s SR Linux network operating system.

“Nokia’s growing footprint in Egypt, especially in export-driven areas, is a clear signal: our ICT sector is a magnet for global investment, underscores the attractiveness of our ICT sector for global investments. With its skilled workforce and proven track record, Egypt is becoming a go-to destination for companies like Nokia seeking to expand their global delivery operations,” commented Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology. “This strategic public-private partnership will enhance innovation, skill development, and research in network automation, solidifying Egypt’s position as a global hub for IT services. It will also contribute to the growth of Egypt’s digital exports, which reached $6.2 billion in 2023.”

Aligned with Egypt’s Digital Egypt Offshoring Strategy, the collaboration aims to increase digital exports and create job opportunities for Egyptian youth. Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of ITIDA, underscored the strategic significance of this partnership in advancing Egypt’s digital ecosystem and offshoring exports. “This MoU empowers our engineers with expertise in cutting-edge technologies, driving Egypt to the forefront of the digital future and boosting our offshoring capabilities. Nokia will not only leverage Egypt as a regional hub for automating IP networks and evolving to Artificial Intelligence and software development but will also equip local talent with the know-how needed to deploy and manage advanced network technologies.”

Under the MoU, Nokia plans to hire and train Egyptian engineers, expanding its workforce in Automation Solutions Architecture, DevOps, and Data Science. These engineers will play key roles in the IP Excellence Center in Egypt.

Vach Kompella, Nokia’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks, highlighted that the Center reiterates their trust in the talent and expertise of Egyptian engineers. Kompella added, “The establishment of the IP Excellence Center marks a significant milestone in our three-decades-long association with Egypt and will play a crucial role in advancing the country’s digital infrastructure. It will help us leverage the skills of local talent to cater to the evolving needs of enterprises in the ME region. Additionally, it presents an unmatched opportunity for the selected engineers to receive training in the latest IP technologies and become part of Nokia’s best-in-class global team.”

Collaboration between the partners will help develop skills and accelerate the growth of Egypt’s telecoms industry, mentioned Mohamed Nasr Eldin, Telecom Egypt’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted by this collaboration between ITIDA, Telecom Egypt, and Nokia to build the cutting-edge IP Excellence Center in the country. Network automation is the future and working closely with the global technology leader, Nokia, will enable Egypt to grow its profile in the global digital ecosystem. We are looking forward to working with ITIDA and Nokia on this crucial initiative to enhance our offshoring sector and increase our ICT services exports.”

Telecom Egypt will support this initiative by providing a joint Nokia/TE lab for hands-on field training, supporting both the Nokia offshoring capabilities and Telecom Egypt engineers. Each year, Telecom Egypt will nominate local engineers to be trained and certified by Nokia on advanced IP technology, further bolstering the skillset of local talent.

By establishing the IP Excellence Center, ITIDA, Telecom Egypt, and Nokia are poised to play a pivotal role in fostering innovation, skills development, and research in network automation, while thriving in Egypt’s offshoring business. The Center will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange, empowering local talent with the expertise needed to deploy and manage advanced network technologies, thus significantly boosting Egypt’s ICT services exports.