MCIT Joins UNDP AI Capacity Building Programme for Egypt
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) participated in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) AI Capacity Building Programme for Egypt, held on June 7–8 in Cairo. Participants included representatives from MCIT, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), and the Egyptian Center for Responsible AI (ECRAI).
The program was facilitated by UNDP specialists with expertise spanning AI policy, governance, digital public infrastructure, and capacity building. It delivered a structured, hands-on curriculum focused on responsible AI deployment in the public sector, moving participants from foundational principles through to applied governance, helping bridge the gap between AI policy frameworks and on-the-ground implementation in Egypt's fast-evolving digital landscape.
Day one focused on laying the groundwork for responsible AI implementation, with sessions covering how to embed ethics and compliance checkpoints across the full AI project lifecycle, from problem definition through to deployment and maintenance. Participants received practical guidance on project scoping, privacy-aware data sourcing, and stakeholder engagement, followed by a live demonstration of open-source bias-detection tools applied to public-sector datasets.
Day two advanced into governance and sector applications, opening with a focus on AI transparency through explainability techniques and model cards, followed by a guided, hands-on walkthrough of Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) methodology. The day also explored post-deployment monitoring practices, audit logging, and accountability frameworks for live AI systems, before concluding with a scenario-based workshop examining the full AI lifecycle applied to a smart-city infrastructure use case. The program concluded with a scenario-based workshop examining the full AI lifecycle applied to a smart-city infrastructure use case.
The AI Capacity Building Programme for Egypt is part of UNDP's broader regional effort to support Arab states in developing the skills, institutions, and frameworks necessary for trustworthy AI governance. Further cohorts are expected to follow, expanding access to responsible AI training across Egypt's public sector and civil society.
ECRAI is the technical and executive arm of the National Council for Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Emerging Technologies. It was established under the National AI Strategy 2025–2030 to enforce the National AI Governance Framework in coordination with relevant stakeholders. The center is mandated to operationalize responsible AI practices across key sectors, providing ethical oversight, compliance monitoring, and guidance to both government entities and private organizations developing or deploying AI systems in Egypt.