Egypt to Launch Digital Platform for Culture Palace, Mobile App for Digital Books

Egypt's Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hano an Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat witnessed the signing of a groundbreaking cooperation protocol aimed at leveraging technology to preserve Egypt’s cultural leadership.

The protocol outlines ambitious plans to use information and communication technology (ICT) to safeguard Egypt’s rich cultural heritage, nurture talent, and enhance global recognition of Egyptian culture. 

It also seeks to foster cultural awareness, identify creative individuals, and promote the sustainable development of cultural resources.

The agreement includes the creation and development of a digital platform and mobile application dedicated to virtual culture palaces, along with an e-book application offering a wide range of cultural and heritage books while ensuring intellectual property rights protection. 

Additionally, it will provide a secure and reliable platform for readers to access and purchase digital books via the Ministry of Culture's official platform. The initiative will also employ interactive technologies, such as 3D, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, while providing visual and audio digital content for artists and creators.

The protocol was signed by Engineer Ghada Labib, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Institutional Development, and Accountant Amr El-Basyouni, Acting Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture.

During the event, a broad meeting was held between the leadership of the two ministries to review significant achievements in projects such as the Egypt Digital Heritage Portal, the development of the Ministry’s online portal, and the mobile application for the Egyptian Opera House. They also discussed the progress of the historical document archiving system for the National Archives and the development of the National Archives portal.

The meeting also highlighted the Ministry of Culture's institutional digital transformation project. 

In his remarks, Fouad Hano emphasized that Egypt's rich and diverse cultural heritage is a legacy for all humanity, making its preservation and development a national priority. 

He added that the Egyptian state is committed to fostering a positive cultural environment that respects diversity and enables Egyptians to acquire knowledge and appreciate their historical legacy while exercising their rights to culture and creativity.

Talaat, in turn, highlighted the significance of culture in achieving societal development. He noted Egypt’s civilization as a treasure trove of unique heritage. He revealed that the cooperation would include digitizing books using artificial intelligence and developing the music library of the Egyptian Opera House. 

Furthermore, a pilot project will be launched at the Digital Egypt Creativity Center in Giza to expand cultural and artistic innovation services.

Following the meeting, the ministers toured the Digital Egypt Creativity Center in Giza, where they observed its activities, which include laboratories equipped with the latest technologies, training halls, and creative spaces. They also met with young entrepreneurs benefiting from the center's services.

The meeting was attended by several officials from the Ministry of Culture, including Dr. Osama Talaat, Head of the National Library and Archives; Dr. Ahmed Bahy El-Din, Chairman of the Egyptian General Book Organization; Dr. Lamia Zayed, Head of the Egyptian Opera House; and Dr. Karma Sami, Head of the National Translation Center. From the Ministry of Communications, attendees included Engineer Mahmoud Badawi, the Minister’s Advisor for Digital Transformation; Dr. Hisham El-Deeb, Head of the Digital Heritage Sector; and several other ministry leaders.