Editing Economy of Egypt (section)

==== ICT and communications ====
{{Main|Telecommunications in Egypt}}
[[File:Telecom Egypt Smart Village building 2.jpg|thumb|300px|The headquarter of [[Telecom Egypt]]]] 

The liberalization of Egypt’s telecommunications sector began in 1998, gradually expanding private sector involvement in mobile telephony and internet services. In 2004, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) was established under Law 15 to drive Egypt’s digital transformation, implement e-signature legislation, and promote an export-oriented IT sector.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ITIDA to boost Egypt's digital transformation through new e-signature licenses |url=https://www.businesstodayegypt.com/Article/4/338/ITIDA-to-boost-Egypt%E2%80%99s-digital-transformation-through-new-e-signature |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Business Today}}</ref> Deregulation followed in 2006 after Egypt joined the [[World Trade Organization]]'s Information Technology Agreement in 2003, opening the market to competition and foreign investment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WTO {{!}} News - 2003 News items - China, Egypt join WTO's Information Technology Agreement |url=https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news03_e/news_china_egypt_25apr03_e.htm |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=www.wto.org}}</ref> By 2007, Egypt had 10 million fixed lines, 31 million mobile subscribers, and 8.1 million internet users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Egypt: number of internet users 2024 {{!}} Statista |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/462957/internet-users-egypt/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224190459/https://www.statista.com/statistics/462957/internet-users-egypt/ |archive-date=24 December 2024 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=Statista |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

The ICT sector has since become a major driver of economic growth, expanding by 15.2% in FY 2022/2023 and contributing 5.1% to Egypt’s GDP, up from 4.4% in 2019/2020. Investments in the sector reached $4.2 billion in 2022/2023, a 20% increase from the previous year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/egypt-digital-economy | title=Egypt - Digital Economy | publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref> The telecommunications market operates under a unified license system, with key players including [[Telecom Egypt]], [[Vodafone Egypt|Vodafone]], [[Orange Egypt|Orange]], [[Etisalat Egypt]], and [[Ericsson]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Egypt-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses | title=Egypt - Telecoms, Mobile, and Broadband Statistics and Analyses | publisher=BuddeComm | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref>

Looking ahead, Egypt’s ICT market is projected to grow from $23.6 billion in 2025 to $53.1 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 17.61%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/egypt-ict-market | title=Egypt ICT Market Report | publisher=Mordor Intelligence | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref> The government’s Digital Egypt initiative aims to transform the country into a digitally-driven society by expanding infrastructure, fostering innovation, and modernizing public services. As part of this strategy, and the broader [[Egypt Vision 2030]], the government has integrated 33,000 institutions into a secured digital network and enhanced online services, improving transparency and efficiency.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mcit.gov.eg/en/digital_Egypt | title=Digital Egypt Initiative | publisher=Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref>

Between 2019 and 2022, mobile internet subscriptions surged by 77.9%, from 39 million to 69.4 million, with total mobile subscriptions reaching 106.2 million by December 2023.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/519378.aspx | title=Mobile and internet subscriptions in Egypt increased by 6 million in 2023| publisher=Ahram Online| date=13 March 2024 | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref> Internet penetration reached 72.2% in early 2024, with 82 million users.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/462957/internet-users-egypt/ | title=Number of Internet Users in Egypt | publisher=Statista | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref> The country also leads Africa in internet speed rankings and is set to generate $3.5 billion in smartphone revenue by 2025, growing at an annual rate of 6.11% until 2029.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/consumer-electronics/telephony/smartphones/egypt | title=Smartphone Market in Egypt | publisher=Statista | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref><ref name=digitalegy>{{cite web | url=https://we.hse.ru/en/irs/cas/passeg | title=Egypt's Digital Transformation and ICT Growth | publisher=Higher School of Economics | access-date=28 February 2025 }}</ref>