Egypt Launches Pioneering Data and Cloud Computing Center to Propel Digital Transformation

Egypt launched its biggest Data and Cloud Computing Center (P1) on 28 April on the Ain Sokhna highway, establishing a pioneering hub for large-scale data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) in Egypt and North Africa. 

“Egypt used to store its data abroad at great cost, but now it is able to localize its data on its territory,” according to Egyptian President, al-Sisi. 

P1 aims to achieve three main objectives; digital transformation, digital capacity building, and support for digital innovation. This encompasses streamlining processes, conserving resources, and fostering fresh avenues for investment.

The center leverages fiber optic networks or 4G and 5G technologies from the national network to aggregate data. It utilizes AI platforms, big data analysis, and data processing to present the information in a usable format, providing indicators to improve workflow within government institutions or offer recommendations for decision-makers.

“P1 was established with the participation of more than 15 local and international companies, and more than 1,200 engineers and workers, with a work capacity exceeding 5,000 working hours, on an area of ​​23,500 square meters,” according to Amr Farouk, engineer, and P1 project manager.

“Easy and accessible services could support our youth to compete effectively and competently in the local and global job market, and encourage entrepreneurship and stimulating innovation,” Dr. Amr Talaat, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, stated. 

The technological infrastructure of P1 is designed to accommodate future increases in demand for ministries and government entities. One main beneficiary is the Ministry of Health, which can now collect and track important information more effectively, as reported by Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Khalid Abdul-Ghaffar.

The center’s infrastructure supports telephone call services for all government entities through 26,000 digital telephones so far, and digital television broadcasting services for around 1200 digital screens. It also facilitates a surveillance system comprising 14,000 cameras or monitoring government buildings internally and externally. Haitham Amer, a representative at the Cloud Computing Center, noted that the center focuses on delivering essential applications, payment systems, and tools related to artificial intelligence and big data analysis to support decision-making across various levels.

Digital Egypt

Aligned with Egypt’s digital transformation strategy and Egypt Vision 2030, the nation has been implementing a comprehensive and decisive approach to build  “Digital Egypt,” which is a program to propel digitization among  Egyptians. Its plan starts by “transforming the existing government services and community ecosystem to an entirely digital and data-driven ecosystem, to provide public services in a faster and simpler way.”

In 2020, the Egyptian information infrastructure, a network of interconnected systems, technologies, and databases, was completed, connecting all Egyptian government databases and over 100 databases.

Egypt launched the Digital Egypt website in 2022, which initially featured 165 different government services. Today, it hosts 170 services, with over eight million citizens registered, submitting a total of 45 million requests in collaboration with ministries and entities providing these services.

By the end of 2023, Egypt had launched 20 Digital Egypt Innovation Centers, with one center in each governorate, which aims to foster technological leadership in cutting-edge technologies among university students and graduates from all fields.

The Digital Egypt initiative aims to leverage the communications and information technology sector to drive economic growth, improve digital services, and establish Egypt as a regional center for technological innovation and advancements.