Egypt Targets AI to Contribute 7.7% to GDP by 2030, Says ICT Minister Amr Talaat
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Amr Talaat, announced that the country aims to increase artificial intelligence’s contribution to the national GDP to 7.7% by 2030.
Speaking at the annual celebration of the Etisalat Association held at Prince Mohamed Ali Palace, Talaat highlighted Egypt’s growing success in attracting global and regional investments in the outsourcing industry, driven by strong training, innovation, and technical capacity.
Over the past three years, Egypt’s outsourcing exports have grown by 80% to reach $4.3 billion in 2024, with the workforce expanding by 70% to more than 160,000 specialists. The number of outsourcing companies has also tripled, rising from 64 to over 180.
On AI, Talaat said the National AI Strategy (2025–2030) focuses on six pillars, including infrastructure development, data governance, regulatory frameworks such as the Data Protection Law, and AI applications in key sectors. He noted pilot initiatives such as an AI-powered early detection system for breast cancer and a speech-to-text app for the justice sector. The strategy also emphasizes capacity building, targeting the training of 30,000 AI specialists by 2030, and aims to ensure that 36% of citizens can use AI applications in their daily lives.
Turning to Egypt’s mobile manufacturing industry, Talaat announced that the number of mobile phone factories has reached 14, with production commitments rising from 3.5 million units in 2024 to 9 million units this year. He stressed that Egypt is positioning itself as a regional hub for exports, leveraging free trade agreements and plans to deepen local value addition.
The minister also underlined the importance of teamwork, citing the recent graduation of the first cohort from Egypt University of Informatics – the first ICT-focused university in Africa – which offers dual degrees in partnership with leading international universities.
The event was attended by former ICT ministers, senior officials including ITIDA CEO Ahmed El-Zaher, NTRA Vice President Hossam Abdelmoula, and representatives of Egypt’s ICT civil society.
Hossam Maguid, Chairman of the Etisalat Association, praised the sector’s achievements over the past two decades, noting Egypt’s improved AI readiness ranking and the role of collaboration between government, industry, and civil society.
The ceremony also included the presentation of the Dr. Tarek Kamel Entrepreneurship and Innovation Award for 2024/2025, which was awarded to Mohamed Tarek and Naglaa Mohamed, co-founders of P Vita, a biotech and AI startup that transforms waste into fertilizers.