Egypt, Saudi Arabia Discuss Closer ICT Cooperation in High-Level Meeting
In a bid to deepen strategic ties in the digital domain, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, met with the Saudi Ambassador to Egypt, Saleh bin Eid Al-Husseini, to explore expanded cooperation between the two nations in the fields of communications and information technology.
During the meeting, Minister Talaat emphasized the deep-rooted relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, highlighting vast opportunities for collaboration across key ICT areas. These include digital skills development, AI advancement, digital transformation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, as well as telecom infrastructure development to enhance digital integration between the two countries.
Talaat also presented an overview of the Ministry’s initiatives to build a comprehensive digital ecosystem within the Knowledge City in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. The City is home to several pioneering institutions including the Information Technology Institute (ITI), the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), Egypt University of Informatics (EUI), the Imhotep Innovation and Development Center, and the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities (NAID).
Extending a formal invitation to Ambassador Al-Husseini, Talaat encouraged a visit to the Knowledge City to witness first-hand the projects designed to drive innovation, support electronic design industries, and train a future-ready digital workforce in partnership with leading global universities and tech companies. He also pointed to ongoing efforts to locally develop assistive technologies and promote applied AI research.
Ambassador Al-Husseini reaffirmed the strong ties between the two nations, both at the governmental and public levels, and expressed keen interest in learning more about Egypt’s digital capacity-building efforts. He welcomed the opportunity to visit the Knowledge City and Creativa Innovation Hubs to explore avenues for joint initiatives, particularly in entrepreneurship and tech innovation.
He further underscored the importance of enhanced collaboration between Egypt’s MCIT and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), especially in fostering cross-border tech-driven entrepreneurship.
The meeting also addressed the significance of strengthening regional ICT cooperation to align positions on key digital issues and support unified Arab strategies in international forums.
The discussions were attended by Khaled Taha, Advisor to the ICT Minister for International Relations; Samah Aziz, Director of the Central Department of International Relations at MCIT; and Talal Al Ghamdi, Head of the Political and Islamic Affairs Department at the Saudi Embassy in Cairo.