Egypt’s ICT Minister Engages Global Tech Leaders in New York
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Amr Talaat, has held a series of high-level meetings in New York with executives from Cisco, Vodafone, and iQor. The discussions focused on strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional technology hub and advancing initiatives under the Digital Egypt Strategy.
Cisco Strengthens Digital Skills and Innovation in Egypt
Talaat met with Francine Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer at Cisco, alongside other senior company executives.
The talks covered:
- Cisco’s ongoing projects in Egypt’s ICT sector
- Electronics design and customer experience (CX) services
- Expanding collaboration with Cisco Networking Academy to boost digital skills
A key highlight was the CCIE Mobile Lab in Egypt, hosted at Cisco’s Cairo office in partnership with the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI). The lab allows Egyptian engineers to earn the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) qualification locally, eliminating the need to travel abroad.
Vodafone Backs Network Infrastructure and Digital Empowerment
The ICT Minister also met with Joakim Reiter, Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer at Vodafone.
Discussions centred on:
- Vodafone’s projects to enhance network infrastructure in Egypt
- Joint initiatives in digital capacity building
- Collaboration with the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities (NAID) to develop assistive technologies for persons with disabilities (PwDs)
iQor Eyes New Service Centre in Egypt
In another meeting, Talaat met with Dustin Fleming, Senior Vice President of Finance at iQor, along with Martin Lehtio, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
The talks explored:
- Plans to establish a new service centre in Egypt
- Egypt’s role as a global hub for offshoring and BPO services
- Incentives under the Digital Egypt Strategy for the Offshoring Industry
iQor executives also showcased the company’s worldwide outsourcing operations, emphasising Egypt’s attractiveness as a destination for global outsourcing investment.
Digital Egypt Strategy Driving Growth
The meetings were attended by:
- Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of ITIDA
- Sherine El-Guindy, Assistant ICT Minister for Strategy and Implementation
- Samah Aziz, Head of the Central Department of International Relations at MCIT
The visit reflects Egypt’s commitment to engaging with international technology leaders to expand cooperation, attract investment, and drive digital transformation.
Conclusion
The engagements with Cisco, Vodafone, and iQor highlight Egypt’s growing role in the global technology ecosystem. With investments in digital skills, infrastructure, and outsourcing services, the country is positioning itself as a regional ICT powerhouse.
