Egypt’s Communications Minister meets New Valley Governor

By:  Robert Kwaku Annor

The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Raafat Hindi has held talks with Hanan Magdy, Governor of New Valley, to review ongoing technology projects and explore new areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening digital transformation in the governorate.

The meeting focused on progress in initiatives being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Egypt) and the New Valley Governorate to enhance the use of information and communication technologies in improving public services. Heba Saleh, Head of the Information Technology Institute (Egypt), also attended the discussions.

Hindi reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting all governorates in leveraging technology to advance development plans. He noted that collaboration with the New Valley Governorate would focus on accelerating digital transformation, strengthening digital infrastructure, improving communication services, and implementing digital capacity-building programs to prepare young people for the job market.

Magdy emphasized that cooperation with the ministry plays a key role in supporting the government’s broader digital transformation agenda. She highlighted the governorate’s efforts to expand digital services and upgrade technological infrastructure to enhance service delivery and make government services more accessible to citizens.

The meeting reviewed projects aimed at improving the efficiency of mobile and fixed internet networks across the governorate. Discussions also covered plans to modernize administrative systems through digital transformation, including strengthening technological connectivity between the governorate’s headquarters and its five centers through a unified information network, implementing electronic correspondence and file management systems, and establishing shared databases among government departments.

Officials also examined ways to upgrade the New Valley Governorate’s electronic portal and enhance the quality of digital services available to citizens as part of broader efforts to automate government services and improve institutional efficiency. The ministry’s initiatives to build digital skills and support technological innovation were also highlighted, including training programs offered through the National Telecommunications Institute (Egypt) and the Information Technology Institute (Egypt), as well as activities at Egypt’s Digital Innovation Centers.

During the meeting, participants discussed expanding access to training programs offered by the Digital Innovation Center in Kharga City to allow young people from Dakhla Center to participate. Options such as providing accommodation near training centers to facilitate participation from across the governorate were also explored.

The discussions further addressed services provided by post offices in the region, noting that the New Valley Post Office recently secured second place in the Egypt Government Excellence Award for improvements in postal and financial services.

The meeting also highlighted private sector efforts to support the date palm production industry in the governorate through the use of artificial intelligence technologies to improve production quality and detect diseases affecting date palms.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Magdy invited Hindi to visit the New Valley Governorate to follow up on the initiatives discussed. The minister welcomed the invitation and confirmed plans to undertake a field visit to review progress on the collaboration.