President El-Sisi Directs Expansion of 5G, AI & Data Centres

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has directed the expansion of 5G networks, greater use of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, and stronger telecommunications infrastructure as part of wider plans for Egypt’s digital economy.

The directives were issued during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindy, and Major General Hany Mahmoud Mansour, Director of the Signal Corps of the Armed Forces. President El-Sisi also called for reduced concentration risks within telecom infrastructure to improve resilience and continuity.

The meeting reviewed plans to attract more investment in cloud computing and artificial intelligence while expanding large-scale data centres. The government is also targeting USD 8 billion in digital exports by 2028 and USD 12 billion in outsourcing exports by 2029, while aiming to increase the number of electronics-design companies to 120 by 2030.

Officials also reviewed the expansion of the Unified Government Services Card, with ongoing coordination between the communications and supply ministries intended to improve technical performance, integrate databases and gradually add more government services.

Artificial intelligence formed another major part of the discussions, including the government’s ‘Karnak’ programme. Developed through the Applied Innovation Centre, Karnak provides a foundation for Arabic-language generative AI applications and is positioned by the government as part of its digital sovereignty strategy.