Egypt is accelerating its march toward technological sovereignty with a reinforced partnership between global tech and defence heavyweight Thales and Arab International Optronics (AIO).
The move is positioned to reshape Cairo’s defence, cybersecurity and industrial capabilities for the next decade in Africa.
Thales, a Paris-listed multinational with more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries, is a global leader in defence, aerospace, cybersecurity, AI, quantum and cloud technologies.
The company has worked in Egypt for over 50 years, supporting civil aviation, defence, enterprise security and space systems.
It also has a significant footprint across Africa, including Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya, Algeria, and South Africa.
The renewed cooperation with AIO marks one of the most significant expansions of Thales’ operations in the Middle East and Africa in years.
AIO, established by the Egyptian Armed Forces, is one of the region’s premier manufacturers of optical and electro-optical equipment, from night-vision systems and thermal imaging devices to fire-control systems and remote weapon stations.
It plays a crucial role in Egypt’s defence industry and exports to allied nations.
The strengthened partnership spans six major domains, including the establishment of a Thales Academy to train Egyptian military, government and civilian institutions in AI, cybersecurity, radar, optronics and radio communications.
The academy will include certified programmes delivered by Thales experts and collaborations with Egyptian and French universities.
Other areas include upgraded fire-control systems for armoured vehicles, enhanced remote-controlled weapon systems, advanced surveillance solutions using Thales radars and thermal imagers and the creation of a new service centre within AIO to support locally deployed technologies.
Thales will also integrate more AIO-produced components into its global supply chain, expanding local manufacturing and boosting Egypt’s export capacity.
“With the reinforcement of this strong partnership with AIO, Thales in Egypt is proud to contribute to the technological sovereignty of Egypt. By anchoring Thales’ advanced solutions locally, we aim to support Egypt’s position as a regional technology hub capable of exporting high-value solutions,” said Sherif Barakat, CEO of Thales Egypt.
For Egypt, the deal underscores a long-term ambition to build with confidence, innovate independently and compete globally in the next era of defence and digital technologies.
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