The World Bank Group has pledged to support Egypt in building a competitive digital economy and advancing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, as officials reviewed the country’s broadband expansion and the rollout of its second national AI strategy.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi met with Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Head of Knowledge Experts at the World Bank Group, to discuss mechanisms for enhancing cooperation in digital transformation and AI.
“Egypt has laid strong foundations for digital transformation. As competition between countries in the digital economy intensifies, knowledge has become as important as finance,” Donohoe said during the talks.
He noted that sharing practical solutions and expertise in data governance, digital regulation, and institutional capacity building accelerates investment and innovation.
“Drawing on the World Bank Group’s vast knowledge base, we are committed to supporting Egypt in adapting global expertise and solutions in line with its national priorities, building a more competitive digital economy that creates jobs and opens broader horizons for growth and prosperity,” Donohoe added.
Hindi emphasised his ministry’s keenness to build on its extended partnership with the World Bank, noting a clear vision for the next phase. He outlined a strategy focused on accelerating digital transformation, upgrading digital infrastructure, developing capacities, and fostering an environment to attract investment in the information and communications technology sector.
The minister also referenced a meeting with World Bank officials last week on the sidelines of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, where both sides agreed to continue coordination.
During the Cairo meeting, officials reviewed key ministry projects, including enhancing public digital infrastructure, expanding high-speed internet availability, and improving telecommunications services in villages under the “Decent Life” presidential initiative.
Discussions also highlighted efforts to promote AI, primarily the launch of the second version of the National AI Strategy. The two sides reviewed the expansion of AI applications within the state administrative apparatus, capacity-building programmes for employees, and applications developed by the Applied Innovation Centre.
The talks further addressed efforts to encourage public-private partnerships, reinforce digital sovereignty, and promote corporate investment in data centres. Officials also discussed developing the legislative and regulatory framework for data governance and enhancing online child protection.
The meeting was attended by Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) CEO Ahmed El-Zaher, Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation Affairs Mahmoud Badawy, Minister’s Advisor for Technological Skills Development Hoda Baraka, Head of the Central Administration for International Relations Samah Aziz, and ITIDA Deputy CEO Mahmoud Safaratah.
The World Bank delegation included Stephane Guimbert, Country Director for Egypt, Djibouti and Yemen; Ari Naim, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Manager for North Africa and the Horn of Africa; Sylvia Solf, Digital Transformation and AI Practice Manager for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and Zaki Khoury, Senior Digital Development Specialist.
As part of their programme, the World Bank delegation also visited the Valeo AI development centre in the Smart Village.
