Orange Group has announced training grants for about 200,000 trainees in Egypt, alongside €25 million ($28.44 million) to support start-ups and scale the country's tech ecosystem.
The €25 million is earmarked for start-ups working in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies. Orange has also committed to equipping a number of Egyptian universities with modern technology laboratories.
The training grants will focus on AI and cybersecurity, and lead to internationally recognised certifications.
The announcements followed a meeting on Sunday between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange Group, according to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency.
Also attending were Raafat Hendy, minister of communications and information technology; Yasser Shaker, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa; and Hesham Mahran, CEO of Orange Egypt.
El-Sisi expressed Egypt's interest in Orange increasing its investments in the country. He underlined the importance of closer cooperation between the government and the operator in preparing young Egyptians for the future labour market, through specialised training in fields such as AI, data analytics, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
He also stressed the need to help trainees earn internationally accredited professional certifications in collaboration with global technology partners, so that students keep pace with the latest practical applications.
Heydemann said Orange's success in Egypt could serve as a model for other countries in the region, particularly in Africa.
The announcement follows another digital skills initiative.
ITWeb Africa recently reported that Egypt recently signed a three-year agreement with Intel to provide AI training to one million citizens annually. The programme will also qualify 1,500 local certified instructors to build a long-term training base across the country.
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