Egypt partners with Thales to develop artificial intelligence

Communications and IT ministry will work with French company on ways to develop local knowledge

Thales and Egypt government will explore the impact of AI on government, jobs, education and the digital divide. Reuters

Egypt has teamed up with French technology company Thales to develop artificial intelligence applications in the country.

The partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will help to develop local skills, technology, infrastructure and governance mechanisms, the entities said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

This agreement will accelerate Egypt’s efforts to build a digital economy, Dr Amr Talaat, Egypt’s minister of communications and information technology, said.

“Egypt is keen on adopting and developing emerging technologies … the alliance also reflects the strategic partnership between Egypt and France in AI, as this marks the sixth consecutive MoU signed with our French partners in the past 18 months,” he added.

Thales and MCIT will also work closely with local start-ups and organise events to foster local talent.

They will identify potential projects in areas such as ground transportation, e-government, mobility and smart infrastructure to strengthen Egypt's role as a regional leader and an active global player in AI.

“The collaboration puts AI at the forefront of our joint projects, with an aim to provide smart and safe solutions and services for the smart cities of the future,” Sherif Barakat, chief executive of Thales in Egypt, said.

Alongside developing new technologies, Thales and MCIT will explore the effects of AI on government, jobs, education and the digital divide.

They will also conduct joint research on AI ethics and organise programmes to educate people about the opportunities and risks posed by AI, such as data privacy.