In an interview with EnterpriseAM, Eng. Ahmed El-Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), highlighted Egypt's rapid growth as a global outsourcing and technology services hub, emphasizing the sector's evolution beyond traditional call-center operations toward higher-value IT services, engineering, research and development, and AI-enabled solutions.
El-Zaher noted that Egypt's outsourcing exports reached USD 5.2 billion in FY 2025/26, with approximately 195,300 Egyptians working in exporting companies across the sector as of June 2026. He outlined ITIDA's ambition to increase outsourcing exports to USD 6.4 billion during FY 2026/27, with a longer-term target of exceeding USD 8 billion by FY 2027/28.
Discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, El-Zaher emphasized that AI is expected to transform the nature of outsourcing jobs rather than simply eliminate them. As routine customer-service activities become increasingly automated, new opportunities are emerging in areas such as AI applications, software development, automation, systems design, and the management of AI-powered solutions.
The interview also highlighted Egypt's growing capabilities in high-value technology fields, including semiconductor design, automotive software, embedded systems, and AI applications. Global companies such as Valeo, Capgemini, Konecta and Concentrix are expanding their AI-related activities in Egypt, reflecting the country's transition toward more sophisticated digital services.
El-Zaher further highlighted Egypt's competitive advantages, including its large and skilled multilingual talent pool, strategic geographic location, digital infrastructure, competitive operating costs, and growing ecosystem of international and local technology companies.
As ITIDA prepares its 2027–2030 strategy, AI and higher-value digital services are expected to play a central role in strengthening Egypt's position as a global destination for outsourcing, technology services and digital innovation.
Read the full interview: EnterpriseAM — "ITIDA's Ahmed El Zaher on the jobs question hanging over Egypt's outsourcing boom,
