CAIRO, March 25 (MENA) - CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) Ahmed el-Zaher said ITIDA seeks to connect all active players in the entrepreneurship domain, including the government, startups, investors, and major companies, to explore cooperation opportunities, identify applications and uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and understand market needs.

ITIDA CEO made the remarks on Tuesday during his participation in "Shaping Egypt's AI Horizon" forum which was organized by ITIDA in collaboration with 500 Global at the Creativa Innovation Hub in Giza governorate.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat attended the event, along with representatives from AI companies, startups, entrepreneurs, founders of risk capital funds, as well as officials from firms and agencies in different sectors utilizing AI applications.

Zaher highlighted ITIDA's support for companies through a comprehensive business environment and specialized training programs.

He noted that the agency has developed all its capacity-building and skill-enhancement programs to cater for global requirements.

Through its Software Engineering Competence Center (SECC), ITIDA offers training programs in requirement engineering, developing software, testing software using AI tools, responsible use of AI, as well as internationally accredited professional certificates.

He added that ITIDA has engaged with 37 startups, highlighting that the key challenge is lack of specialized skills. Therefore, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and its affiliated agencies are addressing this through advanced training programs.

Zaher said all efforts are part of ITIDA's strategy to promote AI and bridge the skills gap locally and globally, fostering Egypt's position as a hub for high-value technological services. (MENA)

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