Cairo, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Egypt’s digital services export workforce reached roughly 200,000 specialists, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi said at the opening of DevOpsDays Cairo 2026.
Speaking to an audience of 66 speakers, including 13 international experts, Hindi highlighted the sector’s role in attracting multinational firms to expand locally. He noted that global software development is shifting toward autonomous artificial‑intelligence systems that write code, test applications and make decisions without human input.
Hindi raised concerns about maintaining human oversight, accountability, energy consumption and cybersecurity compliance as AI assumes greater responsibilities. He cited the recent launch of “Karnak,” Egypt’s first large language model capable of understanding both classical and colloquial Egyptian Arabic, as evidence of local technical capability.
Implications for DevOps and Skills
Ahmed El‑Zaher, chief executive of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, said Agentic AI is turning software from assistive tools into autonomous agents that plan and execute tasks. He said the transition demands new work methodologies, governance frameworks and continuous investment in specialised skills.