Egypt Presents Its Digital Vision, Renews ITU Council Candidacy, and Intensifies Bilateral Meetings in Doha

Monday 9 November 2026 16:28

Egypt's Participation and Digital Vision at PP-26

Eng. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, delivered Egypt's speech during the Plenary Session of the International Telecommunication Union's Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Doha, attended by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin and representatives of member states. The Minister expressed appreciation to the State of Qatar for hosting the conference, highlighting the alignment of Egypt's digital vision with the ITU's main objectives: digital inclusion and sustainable digital transformation. He highlighted Egypt's efforts in expanding fiber-optic networks, launching 5G services, implementing the national strategy to transition to IPv6, and launching the Frequency Spectrum Strategy 2026–2030, alongside developing the Egyptian Arabic Large Language Model "Karnak" to support AI applications.

Historic Partnership and Renomination Announcement

The Minister praised Egypt's historic partnership with the ITU dating back to 1876, highlighting joint initiatives such as the Acceleration and Innovation Center and the Egyptian-African Telecom Regulation Training Center. He officially announced the renewal of Egypt's candidacy for the ITU Council representing the African continent, reiterating the country's commitment to building a more inclusive and secure digital future.

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

On the sidelines of the conference, Eng. Raafat Hendy met with Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia. Both sides discussed activating the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding and enhancing partnership in AI, digital transformation, and infrastructure, while emphasizing joint coordination in international forums. The meeting concluded with an invitation to the Saudi Minister to visit Egypt.

Joint Discussions with Rwanda

In another bilateral meeting, the Communications Minister met with his Rwandan counterpart, Ms. Paula Ingabire, to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in telecom infrastructure and artificial intelligence under the MoU signed last July, as well as coordinating positions in relevant international events.