Egypt Hosts International ICT Event and World Summit Awards (WSA)

Egypt Hosts International ICT Event and World Summit Awards (WSA)

CAIRO, April 25, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

   
    - Cairo ICT 2012 is one of the top ICT events in the region.
    - Hosted by ITIDA, the WSA selects and promotes excellence in ICT innovation
      world-wide.
    - Three of the WSA winners are Egyptian nationals, highlighting the country's
      prestigious talent-base.

    Showcasing Egypt's growing reputation for ICT excellence, this month the country will
host Cairo ICT 2012; "The Spring of Technologies - From Dreams to Needs".

    Held at the Cairo International Conference Centre from 26th to 29th April inclusive,
the international trade fair is one of the top events in the Middle East and North Africa
covering the fields of IT, electronics, satellite and broadcasting, hardware and software,
as well as Internet and mobile services.

    Communications and Information Technology ministers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and
North Sudan will all be speaking alongside Egypt's Communications and Information
Technology minister at the event's keynote address to discuss ways of connecting the
continent.

    The four day event will culminate with the World Summit Award (WSA), a global
not-for-profit activity to select and promote best practice in e-Content production and
creativity in innovative Internet applications.

    Among the winners are three Egyptian natives, heralded for excellence in e-Content and
innovative ICT applications, demonstrating the country's capacity to produce
internationally acclaimed talent.

    Specialized portal Erada addresses a significant need related to the knowledge and
information empowerment for people with disabilities. Wael Zakeria, the portal's developer
is blind himself; his innovation sprung from the desire to ensure visually impaired people
can actively participate in Egyptian society. Now with over 2,000 monthly blog entries,
Erada receives 610,000 daily visits to its site.

    Other Egyptian winners include El3ab.com, one of the leading online portals for
internet based game play in the region. And, in the e-Culture and Heritage category, the
production of Description de l'Egypte to multi-lingual DVD was recognized as a monumental
achievement.

    WSA is hosted by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), a
governmental entity affiliated to Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology, under the patronage of the Minister of Communications and Information
Technology H.E. Mohamed Salem.

    WSA implements the UN agenda for the development of the information society and
supports the UN Millennium Development Goals of ending poverty, hunger and disease,
providing education for all, saving the environment and giving a fair share to women
through the use of ICT.

    Yasser ElKady, CEO of ITIDA, said: "We take our responsibility for growing and
developing Egypt's position as a leading global outsourcing location very seriously.
Hosting the WSA at Cairo ITC 2012 is the perfect opportunity to show the world that Egypt
produces world-class technically proficient talent."

    Having postponed the 2011 winners' event due to political turmoil, the award ceremony
will take place in Cairo. From over 460 projects and 105 countries the WSA Grand Jury
selected 40 WSA Winners in 2011.

Source: ITIDA

Contact Details: Clare Daly, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, T: +44-20-7973-5912, E: cdaly@hkstrategies.com