Hassan El-Khatib, Minister of Investment
Egypt and the UAE Discuss Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Support Sustainable Development
The Information and Decision Support Center of the Cabinet, in cooperation with the Trends Research and Advisory Center of the UAE, organized a high-level seminar at the center's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
The seminar, titled “Between Innovation and Developmental Impact: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Accelerating the Development Agenda,” was held within the framework of the strategic partnership between the two sides to enhance research and knowledge sharing, supporting their positions as leading think tanks in the region.
The seminar is part of an annual tradition between the Information and Decision Support Center of the Cabinet and the UAE's Trends Center, which includes a high-level dialogue session on the sidelines of the Cairo International Book Fair. This is the third seminar of its kind between the two sides, and this year – for the second consecutive year – it focused on the relationship between artificial intelligence and development, both considered key priorities for developing countries in light of the rapid transformations the world is witnessing.
Dr. Osama El-Gohary, Assistant to the Prime Minister and Head of the Information and Decision Support Center, emphasized that preparing for artificial intelligence (AI) has become primarily a governance and development issue, not merely a separate technical matter. He pointed out that the real challenge for governments lies not in adopting the tools, but rather in building the institutional capacity to manage them.
El-Gohary added that investment and trade policies are among the tools for early preparation for the transformations brought about by AI. He explained that the discussion surrounding this topic is closely linked to investment incentives, the types of investments targeted, and linking capital attraction with skills development and technology transfer. This ensures that digital transformation serves as a tool for enhancing competitiveness and sustainable development simultaneously.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Al-Ali, Executive Director of the Trends Research & Advisory Center, affirmed that the symposium comes at a pivotal moment, as the world witnesses rapid advancements in the use of AI. AI is no longer merely a research tool, but has become a key driver for reshaping the economy, engineering value chains, and shaping the future of work and development. He noted that the world has entered a genuine race to leverage these technologies to support sustainable development.
Al-Ali explained that artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities across various sectors, including agriculture, industry, and commerce. However, it also presents challenges related to building human capacity, developing skilled personnel, and ensuring digital equity. This necessitates in-depth dialogue to transform these visions into practical and applicable initiatives.
Al-Khatib: Egypt is qualified to be a regional hub for data centers.
During the main session, Engineer Hassan Al-Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, reviewed the global evolution of artificial intelligence applications. He pointed out that the world is witnessing a major technological shift in the fields of energy, semiconductors, data centers, and AI applications such as ChatGPT, emphasizing that those who possess the technology possess the tools of the future.
He added that Egypt possesses significant advantages to capitalize on these transformations, particularly in the renewable energy sector. He explained that private sector data indicates Egypt has solar energy production potential in the Western Desert ranging between 700 and 1000 gigawatts, in addition to the opportunities for utilizing floating solar panels behind the High Dam, which would reduce water evaporation and provide clean energy.
He also pointed out that the fact that approximately 70% of the world's data passes between Asia and Europe via submarine cables through Egypt enhances its potential to become a regional hub for data center investments, in addition to its capabilities in outsourcing and exporting digital services.
The minister emphasized that the state has made significant progress in creating a favorable investment environment by launching the unified digital investment platform last June. This platform allows investors to access government services through a single entity instead of dealing with 96 different agencies. He noted the use of artificial intelligence tools to improve services and announced plans to launch a similar digital platform for trade, which will contribute to increasing the share of exports in GDP to 30%.
$1.3 Trillion in Global Investments Expected to Support Digital Infrastructure by 2030
Ambassador Abu Bakr Hefny, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, indicated that estimates suggest approximately $1.3 trillion will be invested globally in digital infrastructure by 2030 to achieve the concept of "industrial sovereignty." He emphasized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' role in strengthening international partnerships, particularly with Europe and the United States, to support African countries' capabilities in renewable energy and data centers, and to enhance cooperation in artificial intelligence.
Dr. Ahmed Tantawy, Supervisor of the Applied Innovation Center at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, stressed the need to raise awareness of the importance of using modern technologies in production and development, not limiting them to chat applications. He pointed to the Ministry of Communications' success in recent years in employing new technologies to improve government performance, emphasizing that the success of artificial intelligence applications requires data availability, a conducive legislative environment, and preparedness for its impact on the labor market.
In a recorded speech, Dr. Mohammed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Head of the Cyber Security Government in the UAE, reviewed the UAE’s vision for transformation in the age of artificial intelligence, which is based on five main pillars: governance, capacity building, innovation, cyber security, and partnership, stressing the importance of Egyptian-Emirati cooperation in this field.
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