Under the MoU, Nokia will establish an IP Excellence Centre in Egypt, strategically positioning it as a hub for communications and information technology (IT) services.
On the sidelines of the Egypt-EU Investment Conference in Cairo, Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Telecom Egypt and Nokia. This agreement aims to expand Nokia’s operations in Egypt and enhance its capabilities in innovation and export services. Dr Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, also attended the signing ceremony.
The collaboration will establish an IP Excellence Centre in Egypt, positioning the country as a hub for IT services. Initially serving around 60 countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, the Centre will eventually expand to Europe and beyond, significantly boosting Egypt’s ICT services exports. The Centre, led by top Egyptian engineering talent, will focus on automating IP networks, advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI), and software development for Nokia’s SR Linux network operating system.
Dr Amr Talaat said: “Nokia’s growing footprint in Egypt, especially in export-driven areas, is a clear signal: our ICT sector is a magnet for global investment, underscores the attractiveness of our ICT sector for global investments. With its skilled workforce and proven track record, Egypt is becoming a go-to destination for companies like Nokia seeking to expand their global delivery operations.”
Talaat added: “This strategic public-private partnership will enhance innovation, skill development, and research in network automation, solidifying Egypt’s position as a global hub for IT services. It will also contribute to the growth of Egypt’s digital exports, which reached $6.2bn in 2023.”
Aligned with Egypt’s Digital Egypt Offshoring Strategy, the collaboration aims to increase digital exports and create job opportunities for Egyptian youth. Ahmed ElZaher, CEO of ITIDA, underscored the strategic significance of this partnership in advancing Egypt’s digital ecosystem and offshoring exports.
“This MoU empowers our engineers with expertise in cutting-edge technologies, driving Egypt to the forefront of the digital future and boosting our offshoring capabilities. Nokia will not only leverage Egypt as a regional hub for Automating the IP networks and evolving to Artificial Intelligence and software development but will also equip local talent with the know-how needed to deploy and manage advanced network technologies.”
Under the MoU, Nokia plans to hire and train Egyptian engineers, expanding its workforce in Automation Solutions Architecture, DevOps, and Data Science. These engineers will play key roles in the IP Excellence Center in Egypt.
Vach Kompella, Nokia’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of IP Networks, stated: “The establishment of the IP Excellence Centre marks a significant milestone in our three-decades-long association with Egypt and will play a crucial role in advancing the country’s digital infrastructure. It will help us leverage the skills of local talent to cater to the evolving needs of enterprises in the ME region. Additionally, it presents an unmatched opportunity for the selected engineers to receive training in the latest IP technologies and become part of Nokia’s best-in-class global team.”
Collaboration between the partners will help develop skills and accelerate the growth of Egypt’s telecoms industry, mentioned Mohamed Nasr Eldin, Telecom Egypt’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted by this collaboration between ITIDA, Telecom Egypt, and Nokia to build the cutting-edge IP Excellence Centre in the country. Network automation is the future and working closely with the global technology leader, Nokia, will enable Egypt to grow its profile in the global digital ecosystem. We are looking forward to working with ITIDA and Nokia on this crucial initiative to enhance our offshoring sector and increase our ICT services exports.”
Telecom Egypt will support this initiative by providing a joint Nokia/TE lab for hands-on field training, supporting both the Nokia offshoring capabilities and Telecom Egypt engineers. Each year, Telecom Egypt will nominate local engineers to be trained and certified by Nokia on advanced IP technology, further bolstering the skillset of local talent.
By establishing the IP Excellence Center, ITIDA, Telecom Egypt and Nokia are poised to play a pivotal role in fostering innovation, skills development, and research in network automation while thriving in Egypt’s offshoring business. The Centre will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange, empowering local talent with the expertise needed to deploy and manage advanced network technologies, thus significantly boosting Egypt’s ICT services exports.
