Egypt Unveils National Smart Cities Strategy to Build a Future-Ready Society
Egypt has officially launched its National Smart Cities Strategy, a comprehensive roadmap to create a modern, technology-driven society centered on improving citizens’ quality of life.
Speaking at the strategy’s launch event, Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, emphasized that smart cities are a cornerstone of Egypt’s Digital Transformation Agenda, enabling citizens to access public services through secure and advanced digital platforms.
“The National Smart Cities Strategy represents a holistic national vision to build a knowledge-based society where technology drives progress, innovation, and quality of life,” Dr. Talaat stated. He also stressed the importance of empowering youth, innovators, and entrepreneurs to develop new solutions that advance Egypt’s smart city ecosystem.
The event was attended by senior officials including Sherif El-Sherbiny, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities; Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment; Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo; Adel El-Naggar, Governor of Giza; Andreas Baum, Swiss Ambassador to Egypt; and Stefan Gimberth, Regional Director of the World Bank for Egypt, Yemen, Djibouti, and MENA.
Dr. Talaat highlighted recommendations from the World Urban Forum 2024 in Cairo, which called for investments in digital infrastructure, international partnerships, and integration of AI, IoT, and 5G technologies into smart city frameworks.
He noted that the strategy was jointly developed by the Ministries of Housing and ICT, the World Bank, and the Swiss Embassy in Cairo. Central to the plan is a robust digital infrastructure, including nationwide fiber optic deployment—replacing legacy copper networks in cities and extending connectivity to rural areas under the “Decent Life” initiative. Egypt has maintained the top ranking in Africa for fixed internet speed since 2022.
The Minister underscored the role of IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, and 5G networks in managing utilities and services with high efficiency. He also pointed to the importance of data centers as the “brains” of smart cities, adding that his ministry is introducing policies to attract investment in national data hubs.
Furthermore, he revealed that ICT and networking standards have been integrated into Egypt’s building code, ensuring smart-ready infrastructure for all new urban developments. Dr. Talaat concluded by stressing the need for public-private partnerships to drive innovation and accelerate the rollout of smart cities across the country.