Egypt Partners with Microsoft to Localize Large Language Models and Train 100,000 in AI Skills
Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Raafat Hindy, met with a high-level Microsoft delegation led by Naim Yazbeck, President for MEA, to accelerate the second phase of Egypt’s National AI Strategy. The meeting marked a pivotal shift toward technical sovereignty, as both parties discussed integrating Egypt's homegrown Large Language Model, "Karnak," with Microsoft’s local cloud platforms. This collaboration aims to enhance the efficiency of government services and ensure the secure, local hosting of Arabic-language AI applications.
A cornerstone of the partnership is a massive human capital project to train and certify 100,000 Egyptians, including government employees and digital transformation units, in advanced AI competencies. Minister Hindy emphasized that this initiative is vital for boosting Egypt's economic competitiveness and preparing the workforce for the global digital market. The discussions also focused on empowering AI-driven startups by providing specialized training and access to cutting-edge cloud infrastructure.