Egyptian talent key to attracting global companies to Egypt

Ahmed al-Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), said Egyptian talent is the key factor driving global technology companies to choose Egypt for expansion and international service centers.

Speaking at the ninth edition of DevOpsDays Cairo 2026, El Zaher said rapid advances in artificial intelligence, particularly Agentic AI, are reshaping software development and operations, requiring updated work methodologies, governance and security frameworks, and continued investment in specialized skills.

He highlighted ITIDA’s role, through its Software Engineering Competence Center (SECC), in developing Egyptian capabilities through specialized training, consulting, technical capacity building, and international certifications, enhancing the competitiveness of Egyptian engineers and companies in global markets.

El Zaher said global companies have repeatedly highlighted the quality of Egyptian talent in their meetings with ITIDA, citing a recent meeting with NVIDIA, which expressed appreciation for Egyptian developers and startup founders. NVIDIA’s programs include more than 200 Egyptian startups and around 46,000 programmers, he said.

He added that continued expansion by global companies in Egypt to serve international markets reflects growing confidence in Egyptian talent and strengthens the country’s position as a global technology and digital-services hub.

Held under the theme “Sustainable DevOps in the Agentic AI Era,” the conference brought together local and international experts to discuss AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity and the future of software development and operations. The ninth edition featured 66 speakers, including 13 international speakers from nine countries.

ITIDA has hosted DevOpsDays Cairo since 2018, making Cairo the only Arab city to host the conference, which is held in more than 60 cities worldwide.