• Home
• Technology

Egypt is stepping up efforts to expand digital government services and strengthen its artificial intelligence ecosystem, as Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reviewed the latest technology initiatives at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology's pavilion during Cairo ICT 2026.

The visit took place during the exhibition's 30th edition, held from November 7 to 10 under the theme "AI in Action," where the prime minister was briefed on developments in digital public services, AI research, workforce development, and local technology innovation.

Digital Egypt Expands Its Services and User Reach

The Digital Egypt platform recorded a 32% increase in its user base in 2026, reaching 13.7 million users, up from 10.4 million in the previous year.

Its service portfolio expanded to 261 government services organized into 29 packages, while the number of mobile applications reached 21.

The platform also processed 36 million transactions in 2026, compared with 23.8 million in 2025, and secured a place on the final shortlist of the United Nations digital awards for Digital Government.

New Technologies Make Government Transactions Easier

The Ministry of Communications highlighted the digital infrastructure and technologies supporting the expansion of electronic government services.

These include biometric identity verification through the Digital Identity application, AI-based verification capabilities, electronic signatures, online payment systems, and a digital vault for storing citizens' documents electronically.

Among the featured services were remote issuance of general powers of attorney for legal cases, delivered in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, and online employment registration certificates developed with the Ministry of Labor.

The government is also working to introduce additional digital services, particularly in education and other sectors with a direct impact on citizens' everyday lives.

Egypt Sets Ambitious AI Targets for 2030

The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 is built around six pillars: governance, technology, data, infrastructure, business environment, and skills.

Its main targets include raising the ICT sector's contribution to GDP to 7.7% by 2030, developing 30,000 AI specialists and professionals, and supporting the creation of more than 250 successful AI companies.

The strategy also focuses on responsible AI adoption, stronger data infrastructure, expanded data center capabilities, and wider access to AI-powered tools and products.

NTI Strengthens the AI Talent Pipeline

The National Telecommunication Institute is expanding its training initiatives to prepare young professionals and wider segments of society for the growing demand for AI skills.

Through its Ready for Employment program, 606 trainees graduated in AI specializations, with 83% securing employment in new job roles.

Its training ecosystem also includes 2,397 participants at Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs and 4,306 university students enrolled in summer training programs.

Participants completed 2,000 practical projects on GitHub, while 81% obtained job opportunities during their training.

The AI Ambassadors initiative has also reached around 22,522 citizens, supporting efforts to increase awareness and promote the use of artificial intelligence across different segments of society.

ITIDA Attracts Investment and Supports AI Startups

ITIDA CEO Ahmed El Zaher outlined the agency's strategy to attract global technology companies and investments to Egypt, particularly for the establishment of specialized AI centers.

The agency is also helping outsourcing companies integrate AI into their operations and move toward higher-value services, supporting the growth of digital exports.

For startups and entrepreneurs, ITIDA introduced Creativa AI Lab through its Creativa innovation centers, providing support for the development of new AI-powered products and applications.

Its ITIDA Gigs initiative continues to prepare young people for freelance opportunities in emerging digital fields, including generative AI. The Software Engineering Competence Center also provides 17 specialized AI training programs.

Karnak Achieves Global Recognition in Arabic AI

One of the key highlights of the visit was Karnak, Egypt's large language model developed with Arabic-language data and designed to understand both Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian dialect.

The model ranked first among Arabic-supporting language models, while total downloads of Karnak models surpassed 300,000.

The Applied Innovation Center also presented Balmasry, a platform combining speech recognition, speaker identification, translation between Arabic and 50 foreign languages, and natural text-to-speech technology.

Its other products include Karnak Chat, an AI conversational assistant based on verified information sources, and Loghat, an application designed to improve English language learning through artificial intelligence.

Three New AI Applications Enter Key Sectors

Egypt also showcased three new AI-powered applications designed to address needs in justice, education, and healthcare.

Karnak Legal provides simplified legal information and answers to citizens' inquiries through a knowledge base developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice.

Sia offers interactive educational support for secondary school students in Arabic, history, and physics, using the Karnak language model.

Meanwhile, Senna applies AI technology to support early detection of tooth decay in children under six.

The projects demonstrate Egypt's growing focus on translating AI capabilities into practical applications, while expanding the role of locally developed technology in government services and essential sectors.