Egypt Renews Bid for ITU Council Seat at Doha Conference

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendy delivered his country's address to the International Telecommunication Union's Plenipotentiary Conference in Doha, Qatar. He announced Egypt's renewed bid for a seat on the ITU Council, representing Africa. The conference was attended by ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, representatives of member states, regulators, telecoms and technology companies, universities, and international organisations.

Hendy emphasized Egypt's commitment to affordable, high-quality, and secure communications for all, aligning with the ITU's strategic plan goals of digital inclusion and sustainable digital transformation. He highlighted Egypt's efforts to expand fibre-optic networks, roll out 5G services, and connect rural areas to narrow the digital divide. The country is also implementing a national strategy to transition to version 6 of the Internet Protocol and has launched a spectrum strategy for 2026-2030.

The minister stressed the importance of connectivity in empowering people and improving quality of life, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence. He mentioned Karnak, an Egyptian large language model developed to support Arabic-language AI applications. Several Egyptian initiatives have been recognised in the World Summit on the Information Society Prizes, covering areas such as women's empowerment, skills development, and online safety.

Hendy highlighted Egypt's long-standing relationship with the ITU, which it joined in 1876, and its membership of the ITU Council since 1947. The partnership is growing through initiatives like the ITU acceleration and innovation centre in Egypt and the Egyptian-African Centre for Telecom Regulation Training, chosen as a training centre within the ITU Academy.

On the sidelines of the conference, Hendy met with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha to discuss closer cooperation, particularly in AI. They reviewed areas covered by a framework memorandum of understanding signed in 2019, spanning AI, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. Hendy also briefed Alswaha on Egypt's telecoms infrastructure upgrades, including nationwide fibre-optic cable roll-out.

Hendy also met with Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire to discuss cooperation on telecoms infrastructure and AI under a memorandum of understanding signed in July. They agreed to coordinate in international telecoms forums. The meetings were attended by senior officials from both countries, including Mohamed Shamroukh, executive president of Egypt's National Telecom Regulatory Authority.

Egypt's bid for the ITU Council seat is supported by its growing digital infrastructure and AI capabilities. The country's efforts to expand connectivity and promote digital inclusion align with the ITU's strategic goals. Key initiatives include the development of Karnak, an Egyptian large language model, and recognition in the World Summit on the Information Society Prizes.

Key points

• Egypt renews its bid for a seat on the ITU Council, representing Africa, at the Doha plenipotentiary conference.
• The country's digital vision aligns with the ITU's strategic plan goals of digital inclusion and sustainable digital transformation.
• Egypt is expanding its fibre-optic networks, rolling out 5G services, and connecting rural areas to narrow the digital divide.