Egypt, France Strengthen Collaboration in AI, Digital Capacity Building

Nada Mustafa

Amr Talaat, Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, met with Mr. Éric Chevallier, the French Ambassador to Cairo, to discuss ways to attract more French investments to Egypt's ICT sector and enhance bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

The meeting highlighted ongoing programs and joint projects between Egypt and France in ICT, including French investments in outsourcing and technology.

It also referred to Dr. Talaat's previous discussions with French government officials and business leaders, which led to the expansion of two major French companies in Egypt.

Talaat reaffirmed the ministry's commitment to creating an investment-friendly environment and encouraging global companies to expand their operations in Egypt.

Moreover, Minister of Communications and Information Technology expressed hopes for broader French company activities in Egypt, leveraging the country's competitive advantages in outsourcing, such as a large pool of skilled young talent capable of delivering digital services in multiple languages.

He also emphasized the efforts to enhance the technical and linguistic skills of Egyptian youth, including targeting non-tech specialists like lawyers and accountants, to help them advance their careers using modern technologies like AI.

In addition, Talaat also expressed interest in collaborating with France to train youth in the French language using AI-driven tools, enabling them to better serve French-speaking markets.

For his part, French ambassador noted that several French companies have expanded their operations in Egypt due to the high caliber of Egyptian ICT professionals.

The ambassador invited Dr. Talaat to participate in the AI Work Summit, scheduled for February 10-11, which will focus on topics like AI for public good and global AI governance. Dr. Talaat welcomed the invitation, emphasizing Egypt's interest in showcasing its AI advancements and exploring new initiatives to be launched at the summit.

Additionally, the ambassador invited the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to become a key partner in the French Business Community Forum for the Middle East and North Africa, to be held in May.

The forum will include a segment on AI. Dr. Talaat expressed the ministry's readiness to participate, presenting initiatives related to digital capacity building, AI projects, entrepreneurship, and support for SMEs in AI.

Talaat also invited the French ambassador to visit Egypt's Digital Innovation Hubs to explore their activities and discuss organizing events related to the forum within these centers.