Participants in the "Digital Egypt: New Horizons for Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment Opportunities" session highlighted Egypt's strong potential to boost its position as a regional hub for technology, digital services, and smart infrastructure. This comes from its economic reforms, developing digital infrastructure, growing human capabilities, and increasing interest from international investors in opportunities across technology, telecommunications, data centers, energy, and modern infrastructure sectors. This session was part of the second day of the "Egypt Future: Investment Opportunities and Sustainable Economic Reform" conference, organized by the Egyptian-British Business Association (BEBA) in London from June 3-5, 2026. The conference brought together top investors, decision-makers, and government officials from Egypt and the UK. The session specifically discussed the future of Egypt's digital economy, and how technology and innovation can support economic growth, boost competitiveness, and attract investments. Dr. Mohamed Farid, Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, emphasized that Egypt is working to solidify its position as a regional hub for Artificial Intelligence, data infrastructure, and digital services. This is part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at boosting the national economy's competitiveness and attracting more foreign investments, while also expanding economic development to include various governorates and investment zones. He explained that digital transformation has become a key driver for economic growth in the coming period. He stressed that Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a future trend; it's a reality impacting various economic sectors. This means we need to create a supportive environment to benefit from these changes and maximize their economic returns. He also pointed out that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Egyptian economy. It has achieved double-digit growth rates for seven to eight consecutive years, and its contribution to the GDP has doubled over the past decade, reaching about 6%. This really shows the huge potential this sector holds. He added that Egypt's geographical location gives it a significant competitive advantage in data centers and AI-related infrastructure. He noted that a large percentage of global submarine communication cables pass through Egyptian territory, which really boosts the country's chances of becoming a regional hub for digital services and data. The Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade also revealed plans to launch a "TradeTech Sandbox" platform. This platform aims to develop AI-powered solutions to support exporters, improve supply chains, and enhance access to international markets. In the same vein, Todd Wilcox, Deputy Chairman and CEO of HSBC, affirmed that Egypt possesses strong fundamentals that qualify it to become a regional and global hub for services, knowledge, and technology. He mentioned that recent economic reforms have boosted the attractiveness of the Egyptian market and international investors' confidence in its long-term opportunities. He explained that HSBC's experience in Egypt reflects the significant development in the specialized services sector. HSBC's Global Service Centre in Cairo has grown from a small team 16 years ago to a center with over 2,700 employees, providing services for the bank's operations in 35 countries worldwide. He confirmed that the Cairo center is now among the best-performing service centers within the group globally. Wilcox also noted that rapid advancements in technology and Artificial Intelligence will drive increased demand for high-value-added jobs and activities, especially in areas like data analysis, compliance, and specialized knowledge services. He emphasized that Egypt has a great opportunity to benefit from these transformations. He added that maintaining competitiveness requires continuous development of the business environment, accelerating the pace of reforms, and turning them into tangible practical results that investors and companies can feel. He stressed the important role the private sector plays in supporting innovation and sustainable economic growth. The session saw a consensus among participants that continued development of digital infrastructure, increased investment in technology and innovation, and leveraging Egypt's excellent geographical location are key factors supporting the country's transformation into a regional hub for digital services, data centers, and Artificial Intelligence in the coming years.
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