Egypt’s ICT Minister Calls for Stronger Arab Cooperation in Cybersecurity at Arab Security Conference
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Amr Talaat, highlighted the importance of strengthening Arab cooperation in the field of cybersecurity through joint training, information exchange, coordinated responses to cyber incidents, and support for Arab start-ups.
Speaking at the 9th Arab Security Conference, held under the theme “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cyber Defense” from September 7–8, Dr. Talaat emphasized that the accelerating pace of digital transformation and AI adoption has amplified cyber risks. “The more we rely on technology, the greater the cybersecurity threats,” he said.
Dr. Talaat pointed to alarming global figures: ransomware attacks occur every 11 seconds, over 300 million people were targeted by cyberattacks in 2023, and cybercrime costs worldwide reached $9.5 trillion in 2024, with annual growth exceeding 15%.
He outlined Egypt’s National Cybersecurity Strategy (2023–2027), which focuses on five pillars:
Updating legislation and strengthening regulatory institutions,
Raising public awareness of digital safety,
Enhancing cyber defenses through incident response centers and infrastructure protection,
Promoting research and innovation in areas such as encryption and threat detection,
Expanding regional and international cooperation.
Dr. Talaat also stressed the global shortage of skilled professionals, with 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs unfilled, and noted Egypt’s efforts to train highly specialized talent through national programs in partnership with government, private sector, and civil society. He revealed that Egypt has launched several advanced training programs to build a pool of cybersecurity experts capable of protecting critical sectors.
He further praised Egypt’s recent first-place win at the Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC) cyber drill in the UAE, surpassing teams from 138 countries.
For his part, Dr. Bahaa Mohamed Hassan, Founder and Chairman of the Arab Security Conference, underlined that the conference is not only a platform for discussing the latest cyber challenges but also a forum for regional collaboration. Over the past nine years, the event has played a key role in building Arab cybersecurity capacities through scientific sessions, workshops, and hands-on war games.
This year’s edition also features the Arab Security Cyber WarGames Championship, simulating real-world attack scenarios with the participation of specialized teams from leading institutions and companies.
The opening ceremony was attended by senior Egyptian officials, including Dr. Ahmed Khattab, Director of the National Telecommunications Institute, Dr. Sherif Hazem Nour El-Din, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank for Cybersecurity, and Eng. Waleed Zakaria, Vice President of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority for Cybersecurity, alongside Arab and international experts, diplomats, and representatives of regional and global organizations.