In response to an invitation by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the National Communications Institute (NTI) recently hosted a session on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The session brought together 19 experts, academics, and officials to discuss the future of digital infrastructure, data centers, cloud computing, and building specialized cadres. This event is part of the preparations for the Egypt 2026 forum, scheduled to take place from October 19-24, 2026.
The session included discussions on various issues related to the rapid evolution of technology, requirements for digital infrastructure, skills gaps, and ways to enhance integration between state institutions, the private sector, and educational and research institutions. The attendees included professors from the institute, executive leaders from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and officials from the National Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications.
The session witnessed extensive discussions on the gaps and challenges facing digital infrastructure, the data center industry, and cloud computing. Participants emphasized the importance of having a national cloud system to host business community data, which would help save time and effort, rationalize expenses, and support stability in planning for the future. They also discussed challenges related to establishing data centers, particularly in vital sectors such as banks and housing.
The attendees also explored ways to overcome these challenges, including protecting information from hacking and illegal trafficking, and finding alternative solutions to provide the necessary energy for this industry. They also discussed ways to attract investments to the data center industry, which is considered a promising sector. The participants stressed the importance of periodically reviewing the regulations and laws governing the sector to keep pace with global developments.
The session resulted in several recommendations and proposals that can be built upon in the coming stage. These included developing a comprehensive national strategy for building digital capacities, creating a unified national platform that collects specialized training programs, and allowing universities to benefit from them according to their needs. The participants also emphasized the importance of encouraging the private sector to support and finance the cadre-building system.
The recommendations also included developing national solutions for artificial intelligence that support data protection and privacy, establishing a sustainable mechanism to connect universities, regulatory bodies, and companies to identify industry challenges and needs, and directing graduation projects and applied research towards finding solutions to these challenges. The participants also suggested studying the establishment of a specialized technological university in communications and information technology.
The session's outcomes reflect the importance of integrating academic and practical experiences in discussing national challenges and proposing solutions that can support development paths and digital transformation in Egypt. The event is part of a series of preparatory sessions for the Egypt 2026 forum, which aims to bring together experts and specialists to discuss national issues and files.
Key points
- The National Communications Institute hosts a session on the ICT sector in response to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's invitation to discuss national issues.
