IT outsourcing (ITO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) are competitive fields internationally, especially when countries compete for market share with wellestablished locales such as India and the Philippines. However, Egypt stands out in this realm with its young, tech-savvy and multilingual population; low costs; government support; proximity to key markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa;…
Egypt has well-diversified industries, and the cost and availability of labour have been competitive advantages for attracting investment. Now, as automation under the Fourth Industrial Revolution – also known as Industry 4.0 – gains pace around the world, Egypt is seeking to modernise its industry by adopting new technologies in production and service delivery to improve efficiency and boost…
Egypt plans to build 50 fourth-generation cities – or smart cities – by 2050, with 22 under development as of late 2020. The headline project, the NAC, will replace the current capital of Cairo as the centre for government and foreign missions. Construction began in 2015 and, once complete, the $58bn new capital will span 700 sq km and be home to 6.5m residents. Importantly, it will ease overcrowding…
5G is a key component of the MCIT’s strategy to encourage technological innovation and sustainable development, and both the government and private telecoms providers have invested in necessary upgrades. In 2018 the National Telecom Regulatory Authority deployed broadband fibre optics, a central requirement for 5G. In November 2019 state-owned Telecom Egypt signed an agreement with Sweden’s…
Developing the digital economy and strengthening Egypt’s ICT infrastructure are central to efforts by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). Digital Egypt is the ministry’s roadmap to facilitate further sector growth through initiatives such as capacity-building, digital inclusion and the transition to a knowledgebased economy. Digital inclusion has seen continued gains…
Egypt’s partial lockdown resulted in a surge in demand for telecoms services as business and social interactions moved online. While growth waned as lockdown measures eased, the pandemic has hastened digital transformation. Some trends that accelerated – including wider acceptance of remote work, digital payments and e-commerce portals – are expected to continue in the years ahead. This will…
The crisis highlights the urgency of cybersecurity. A 2020 report by IT security firm Trend Micro found a 16% year-on-year rise in vulnerabilities in industrial control systems in the first half of 2020. With more people working remotely, the need for digital protection presents opportunities: prepandemic the Middle East’s cybersecurity market was slated to grow from $16.1bn in 2020 to $28.7bn…
The inevitable reality of the Covid-19 pandemic is that some sectors and verticals have been declining while others are flourishing unexpectedly. In the customer-facing sphere, those experiencing brisk growth tend to have an expansive digital presence. When looking at every touchpoint, the pandemic has changed the routes and behaviours of customers across the entire consumer journey. Today,…
Egypt is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for ITO and BPO given its advantageous location between Europe, the Middle East and Africa; its young, educated and multi-lingual population; and strong IT infrastructure. Indeed, the country is now widely considered one of the fastest-growing destinations for offshore services. Several large multinationals are already active in the Egyptian…
Prior to the pandemic, the widespread adoption of remote work was relatively novel, especially in a country where business transactions are largely carried out face to face. To support the transition, the MCIT encouraged employees to work from home, while balancing efficiency and productivity with health and wellness measures. According to Talaat, it was important to change the work style. “Now…
