Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Christel Heydmann, CEO of Orange Group, on September 27, 2026, to discuss cooperation in telecommunications and technology. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Communications and Information Technology Minister Rafeat Hendy, Orange Middle East and Africa CEO Yaser Shaker, and Orange Egypt CEO Hisham Mehrain. The talks focused on enhancing cooperation in the telecommunications sector, given Orange's extensive experience in digital transformation and technological development.
President El-Sisi praised Orange's success in Egypt, particularly in telecommunications, digital transformation, and smart platforms. He expressed Egypt's desire to increase Orange's investments in the Egyptian market, citing the country's promising growth and expansion opportunities. The President also highlighted Egypt's initiatives to develop the skills of its youth and enable them to utilize modern technologies.
Heydmann expressed her honor in meeting with President El-Sisi and noted that Orange's success in Egypt serves as a model for other countries in the region. She praised the Egyptian government's efforts to support startups across various governorates and appreciated the state's initiatives to develop youth skills, promote innovation, and support entrepreneurship.
President El-Sisi expressed interest in exploring cooperation with Orange in implementing the second phase of Egypt's national digital health project. This phase would leverage Orange's expertise in digital infrastructure, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and system integration. The President also emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation in preparing Egyptian youth for the future job market.
The President highlighted the need for specialized training programs in artificial intelligence, data analysis, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. He also stressed the importance of supporting Egyptian youth in obtaining international professional certifications through partnerships with global technology companies.
As part of its efforts to expand digital capacity-building programs for Egyptian youth, Orange announced that it would provide training scholarships for approximately 200,000 trainees in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity specialties. These scholarships would include international certification. Orange also allocated €25 million to support startups operating in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
Orange committed to supporting several Egyptian universities with modern technological labs, enabling students to keep pace with the latest practical applications and acquire the necessary skills to excel in advanced digital technology fields. The company's initiatives align with Egypt's goals to develop its youth and promote digital transformation.
Key points
- President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasizes the importance of cooperation with Orange Group in preparing and qualifying Egyptian youth for the future job market.
