Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 39 | Page 49

COUNTRY FOCUS: EGYPT 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. where enterprise owners can attend to find solutions to business problems. 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 www.intelligentcio.com “ A RELIANCE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL LEAD TO SOME JOBS BEING ELIMINATED, OTHER NEW JOBS WOULD BE CREATED. He stated that MCIT seeks to provide more than 20 government digital services that will be launched in succession during the next 18 months 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. 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. Software development Egypt’s attractiveness as a hub for Digital Transformation has been underlined by the news that the software company Andela is to open a HQ in the country. INTELLIGENTCIO 49