Orange Group, a major telecommunications company in France, has promised specific funding for vocational training in order to support the digital transformation initiative of Egypt after bilateral talks at the presidential level held in Cairo.
While discussing issues related to the initiative in a meeting between the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the CEO of Orange Group, Christel Heydemann, El-Sisi mentioned the commitment of his country to bring more foreign investments in technology. This is because they would like to increase their communication sector by partnering with other countries to create digital and secure infrastructure.
Orange Group announced that it would provide vocational training scholarships to around 200,000 Egyptians. The instructional programs will center on artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud systems, and cybersecurity, providing qualifying participants with globally accredited technical certifications.
Additionally, the telecommunications operator allocated €25 million ($27.8 million) specifically to back emerging Egyptian startups specializing in artificial intelligence and deep-tech innovation. To ensure long-term skill acquisition, the enterprise will equip select state universities with advanced digital technology laboratories, providing undergraduate students with hands-on exposure to modern enterprise applications.
The presidential discussions also covered potential technical collaboration for the upcoming second phase of Egypt’s National Digital Health Project. Egyptian authorities intend to utilize Orange’s global technical framework in systems integration, network security, and centralized data management to streamline public healthcare delivery nationwide.
Representing the global telecom firm, Heydemann lauded Egypt’s progressive policy framework for fostering technology startups and supporting youth-led innovation. She noted that the company’s ongoing public-private initiatives in the country serve as an operational benchmark that can be successfully replicated across other emerging markets throughout the Middle East and Africa. High-level attendees at the meeting included Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi, Orange Middle East and Africa CEO Yasser Shaker, and Orange Egypt CEO Hesham Mahran.
