Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 28 | Page 43

COUNTRY FOCUS: EGYPT In addition, discussions have taken place with the Minister of Education and Technical Education to introduce computer science into the school curriculum and to increase the number of faculties specialised in computer technology and communication sciences. Talaat explained that, although technological development and a reliance on Artificial Intelligence will lead to some jobs being eliminated, other new jobs would be created. He also discussed co-operation with the Ministry of Culture to establish a unified digital platform for the country’s cultural heritage using the latest information technologies and activating IT in the Digital Transformation of cultural palaces nationwide to serve culturally and artistically gifted people throughout Egypt. Part of this is to provide high-speed Internet services to cultural palaces to facilitate access to all cultural services. He also mentioned MCIT’s efforts to improve communication networks and develop the telecommunications infrastructure, pointing out Egypt’s valuable location, where several significant submarine cables pass through linking African countries to Europe through a technical and information corridor and allowing for the establishment of major data centres. Talaat added that Digital Transformation will result in IT pervading every aspect of Egyptian life and that MCIT works to enable different sectors across the country to implement Digital Transformation projects and build integrated databases that would improve the level of services provided to citizens, raise operational efficiency, and combat financial and administrative corruption. He stated that MCIT seeks to provide more than 20 government digital services that will be launched in succession in all government sectors, to be provided to citizens through mobile phone applications, digital platforms, government service centres, call centres and Egyptian post offices – the development of which would be outlets for providing integrated government services to citizens. “ THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT COMPUTERS ARE ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCTION AND PROGRESS. www.intelligentcio.com As for the transition to the digital economy, Talaat said that it is the responsibility of all sectors of the state, hailing the decision of the Minister of Finance to remove computers from the list of non-essential goods. This is a message from the government that computers are one of the essential requirements for production and progress. New capital The New Administrative Capital is designed to build a new capital city from scratch, moving the Government away from Cairo which is suffering from severe congestion and overcrowding. The city, located 45km east of Greater Cairo, will feature a new presidential palace, a new parliament, a central bank and business district, an airport and a massive theme park, alongside housing for 6.5 million people. One of the main aims of Knowledge City in the New Administrative Capital is to become Egypt’s answer to Silicon INTELLIGENTCIO 43