Digital Exports Rise by 124% Over Seven Years to Reach USD 7.4 Billion

Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, stated that performance indicators of Egypt’s ICT sector have witnessed sustained development over the past seven years. The sector has maintained its position as the fastest-growing sector in the country, recording growth rates ranging between 14% and 16%.

Digital Exports
He noted that the sector’s contribution to GDP increased from 3.2% to 6% during the current year. Digital exports also grew by 124%, reaching USD 7.4 billion compared to USD 3.3 billion in 2018. Meanwhile, outsourcing exports doubled over three years, rising from USD 2.4 billion in 2022 to USD 4.8 billion in 2025. The number of companies operating in the outsourcing industry in Egypt increased from 90 to 240 companies, operating more than 270 delivery centers.
This came during Dr. Talaat’s speech at the monthly meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, where he reviewed the vision and key pillars of Egypt’s Digital Strategy, as well as the developments witnessed by the ICT sector over the past seven years.

Egypt’s Digital Strategy
Dr. Talaat explained that Egypt’s Digital Strategy is built on four main pillars: fostering digital innovation, developing digital services for citizens, driving GDP and export growth, and creating jobs within the digital economy. These pillars are supported by two core foundations: digital infrastructure and an enabling legislative environment.

Qualified ICT Talent
The Minister emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to expanding the pool of qualified ICT talent to implement digital transformation projects, noting that skilled human capital is also a key factor in attracting global companies to establish operations in Egypt.
He highlighted that the number of trainees in technology-related disciplines increased 200-fold over seven years, from 4,000 trainees in FY 2018/2019 to 500,000 trainees in the last fiscal year, with a target of training 800,000 individuals during the current fiscal year.

Digital Capacity-Building Strategy
He added that the digital capacity-building strategy is based on two main models: formal education and vocational training, aiming to align educational and training programs with labor market needs.

University of Informatics
Dr. Talaat also pointed to the graduation of the first cohort from Egypt University of Informatics, established in the New Administrative Capital as part of the Ministry’s vision to deliver high-quality education within an advanced learning environment. He further highlighted WE Applied Technology Schools, which started with a single school in 2021 and have since expanded to 27 schools across all governorates.

Training Programs
The Minister reviewed the diverse delivery mechanisms of training programs, including traditional in-person training, digital platforms, and blended learning models combining classroom instruction with online education. He highlighted the “Mahara Tech” platform, which offers specialized digital training content across various technology fields.

Building a Comprehensive Skills
He stressed the Ministry’s focus on building a comprehensive skills matrix for trainees, encompassing technical, language, and soft skills, as well as freelancing and entrepreneurship capabilities. In addition, the Ministry provides training programs for non-ICT professionals to support career development using artificial intelligence technologies. He also referenced the “Digitopia” competition, launched to discover talent in digital creativity fields.

National Artificial Intelligence Strategy
Dr. Talaat noted that the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was launched in 2019, contributing to Egypt’s advancement by 46 positions in the Government AI Readiness Index.
He added that the second edition of the strategy was launched earlier this year and is structured around six pillars: data, skills, ecosystem, infrastructure, applications, and governance. Efforts are underway to deploy AI-based systems to enhance service efficiency, including solutions for early breast cancer detection and speech-to-text conversion in court sessions.

Outsourcing Map
The Minister also outlined Egypt’s progress in strengthening its position on the global outsourcing map and attracting further investments. He pointed to the signing of agreements in November with 55 local and international companies to expand their outsourcing investments in Egypt, creating approximately 75,000 new jobs over the next three years.
This follows earlier agreements signed with 29 companies in 2022, aimed at creating 34,000 jobs, bringing the total number of implemented job opportunities to 60,000 by the end of 2024.

manufacturing Mobile Phones
Dr. Talaat stated that 15 global and local brands are currently manufacturing mobile phones in Egypt, with a local value-added component of around 40%. Production capacity is expected to increase from 3.3 million units in 2024 to 10 million units in 2025.

Digital Egypt Services Platform
He also reviewed developments in the Digital Egypt Services Platform, which currently offers 210 government services and serves more than 10 million users, processing around 2 million transactions per month.
Since 2019, investments totaling USD 6 billion have been injected to upgrade fixed and mobile broadband networks, including USD 2.7 billion for mobile services and USD 3.3 billion for fixed broadband. 

These investments contributed to a 16-fold increase in average internet speed, reaching 91.3 Mbps, placing Egypt at the top of Africa’s fixed broadband speed rankings compared to 40th place globally in 2018.

Fiber-Optic Network
The second phase of the project includes expanding the nationwide fiber-optic network and connecting approximately 4,500 villages under the “Haya Karima” initiative. He also noted the launch of 5G services, Wi-Fi Calling, Internet of Things (IoT) services for vehicles, and a governance framework for regulating telemarketing calls.

Data Traffic
Dr. Talaat added that more than 90% of data traffic between Asia and Europe passes through Egypt via 21 international submarine cables, including six currently under construction.
On the legislative front, he highlighted the enactment of the Cybercrime Law, the Personal Data Protection Law, the Egyptian Charter for Responsible AI, the Cloud-First Policy, and the Open Data Policy.

Innovation
For his part, Dr. Sherif Kamel, former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, praised the vision presented by the Minister, noting that it positions the ICT sector as a key driver of economic growth, innovation, and inclusion, while enhancing Egypt’s global competitiveness and paving the way toward becoming a regional technology hub. 
He emphasized that the strategy has supported progress in ICT through public-private partnerships, strategic human capital initiatives, improved telecom services, streamlined government services, and a stronger digital economy that empowers youth and institutions to compete in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Source: Press Release