Minister of Communications and Information Technology discusses with HMD officials plans to expand the manufacture and export of Nokia phones
On the sidelines of the visit of the President of Finland to Egypt; Eng. Rafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, met with Mr. John François Barrell, Co-Founder and CEO of HMD Global, the owner of the operating rights of the Nokia brand, to discuss the company's plans to expand the manufacture of mobile phones in Egypt and promote exports to regional markets. In the presence of Mr. Jarno Sergiala, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland for Foreign Trade Affairs, Mr. Tabio Naula, Commercial Advisor at the Embassy of Finland in Cairo, Eng. Ahmed Al-Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Authority (ITIDA), Dr. Hossam Abdel Mawla, Vice President of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for Technical Affairs and Quality, Eng. Amr Abbas, Vice President of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for Regulation and Market Governance, Dr. Yasser Abdel Bari, Director of the Electronics Industry Program at the Information Technology Industry Development Authority (ITIDA), Mr. Sanmit Kutchar, Senior Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa Region of HMD International, Engineer Mohamed Salem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Silicon Industries Company (SICO), and Eng. Tamer Al-Jamal is the director of HMD in Egypt, and a number of the leaders of the ministry and the company.
During the meeting, Finnish company officials reviewed the development of local manufacturing processes, which began in 2023. It was also mentioned that the company cooperated with the factory of the Egyptian Company for Silicon Industries (SICO) in the technological zone in the new city of Assiut.
The meeting discussed the company's plans to start exporting to the North African markets during the coming period, in addition to discussing ways to accelerate access to regional markets in Africa and Europe, and enhance cooperation to increase local added value through the development of nutrient industries and attract their suppliers to the Egyptian market, by enhancing local value chains and enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian product globally.
The company indicated that it is currently producing about 12 models of its products in Egypt, and the company's production in Egypt is expected to reach about 2 million mobile phones of traditional and smart devices in 2026, driven by the expansion of the production of smartphones, and the implementation of plans to increase dependence on local manufacturing and enhance the export trend.
Eng. Rafat Hindi stressed the keenness of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to enhance Egypt's position as a regional center for the mobile phone industry as part of its efforts to support and localize the electronics industry as one of the main axes for the development of the digital economy. He pointed out that the expansion of international companies in the manufacture of mobile phones in Egypt represents an important step towards deepening local manufacturing and increasing added value as well as enhancing the competitiveness of the Egyptian product in regional and global markets.
He pointed to the Ministry's keenness to create a stimulating investment environment that supports the expansion of companies in their manufacturing activities within Egypt and enhances their capabilities in exporting to regional markets, stressing the importance of partnerships between international companies and their local counterparts to contribute to technology transfer, capacity building and localization of the mobile phone industry.
For his part, Mr. John François Burrell, Co-Founder and CEO of HMD Global, explained the company's plans to expand during the period 2026–2027, which include a gradual shift towards the production of fourth-generation (4G) phones and increasing the percentage of smartphones. He stressed that Egypt represents a strategic hub for the company's operations in the region, in light of its competitive elements, foremost of which is the strategic location, and human cadres, to enhance the company's plans to expand during the next phase, and make Egypt an export center to Africa and other markets; pointing to the company's efforts in developing innovative solutions to provide digital services on smart and traditional phones.