Orange Egypt: Data Centers Are the Foundation of the Next Phase of the Digital Economy

Mohamed Shabl: Egypt has the potential to become a regional digital hub, while Orange remains committed to investing in telecommunications, AI and advanced digital infrastructure

Mohamed Shabl, Executive Vice President of Orange Egypt, emphasized that data centers have become the foundation for the next phase of the digital economy, noting that expanding artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services, while attracting global technology companies and regional digital workloads, requires infrastructure capable of supporting this growth.

Shabl made the remarks during his keynote speech at the FDC Summit, which kicked off this morning, bringing together a group of specialists, decision-makers and representatives from the telecommunications and information technology sectors to discuss the future of the connected world, digital transformation, cybersecurity and smart technologies.

He said Egypt is witnessing a major transformation in the telecommunications and information technology sector, explaining that the country’s ambitions are no longer limited to digitizing services and businesses, but have expanded toward building an integrated digital economy capable of competing and growing at the regional level.

According to Shabl, this transformation is being driven by several key technologies, most notably artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and large-scale data centers.

He pointed out that data centers are no longer simply technological infrastructure, but have become a fundamental pillar of the digital economy. Expanding AI applications, cloud computing and digital services, he explained, requires large-scale and scalable infrastructure capable of accommodating this growth.

Shabl added that aligning the government’s vision with opportunities for the private sector could support the development of large-scale data centers backed by strong telecommunications networks, international cables and advanced computing capabilities, strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional digital hub.

Egypt has the foundations to become a regional digital hub

The Orange Egypt executive highlighted several factors that position Egypt to play a leading regional role, including its strategic geographic location connecting Europe, Africa and Asia, its strong subsea cable and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as its large domestic market and growing pool of talent.

However, he stressed that infrastructure should not be viewed as an end in itself, but rather as a means of creating real economic value.

Shabl identified artificial intelligence as one of the most important drivers of the next phase of growth, particularly through its application across various sectors to improve efficiency, enhance customer and citizen experiences, support decision-making and create new business models and services.

Orange: Connecting networks, data centers, cloud and AI

Shabl said Orange views its role as extending beyond that of a telecommunications provider, positioning itself as an integrated technology partner.

He explained that the company works to connect networks with data centers, data centers with the cloud, and cloud infrastructure with artificial intelligence, ultimately transforming these capabilities into solutions and tangible value for customers and the Egyptian economy.

He also highlighted the importance of the FDC Summit as a platform that brings together the government, private sector, investors, technology companies and customers around a common vision for the future of technology and the digital economy.

The Orange Egypt executive stressed that the company is proud of its role in supporting and developing national infrastructure projects, reaffirming its commitment to continued investment in telecommunications, data centers, cloud computing, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, while continuing to develop local capabilities and strengthen local and international partnerships.

Shabl concluded by stressing that Egypt is building today the infrastructure for its future digital economy, adding that the opportunity lies in transforming this infrastructure into a platform for growth—not only for Egypt, but for the entire region.

He reaffirmed Orange’s commitment to playing an active role in building this ecosystem and shaping the digital future.