Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi urged Orange Group to increase its investment in Egypt and explore participation in the second phase of the national digital health project, while expanding training programmes in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
Al-Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with Orange Group Chief Executive Christel Heydemann, attended by Communications and Information Technology Minister Raafat Hendy, Orange Middle East and Africa Chief Executive Yasser Shaker and Orange Egypt Chief Executive Hisham Mahran.
Presidency spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy said the talks covered cooperation in telecommunications, digital transformation and technology systems, while Al-Sisi praised Orange’s activities in Egypt in telecom services, smart platforms, digital education and community development.
The president said Egypt wanted the group to expand its investment in the local market, citing growth opportunities and government programmes aimed at developing digital skills among young people.
He also called for cooperation with Orange on the second phase of the national digital health project, particularly in digital infrastructure, cloud computing, cybersecurity and systems integration.
Al-Sisi urged broader cooperation on training Egyptians for future jobs in AI, data analytics, cloud computing and cybersecurity, including internationally recognised professional certifications through global technology partners.
Orange announced training grants for around 200,000 participants in AI and cybersecurity, including opportunities to obtain international certifications.
The group also allocated €25m to support startups working in AI and advanced technologies and committed to equipping a number of Egyptian universities with modern technology laboratories.
The presidency’s statement did not specify the implementation timetable, how the startup funding would be distributed or which universities would receive the laboratories.
Heydemann said Orange’s experience in Egypt could serve as a model for projects in other countries in the region, particularly in Africa, and praised government programmes supporting startups, youth skills, innovation and entrepreneurship.
