Abdel Fattah El Sisi met Tuesday with Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft.

Sisi praised the effective role played by the international company to upgrade the IT and communications sector, said presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef.

Egypt considers IT a promising sector that effectively contributes to increasing the national income and upgrading the quality of services offered to citizens, Sisi told Nadella.

Sisi talked about promising opportunities in the IT sector at the internal level. Egypt has many young cadres, whose potentials and skills can very well be upgraded, Sisi said.

Egypt is a gate to Africa and the Arab world, he noted.

Sisi also welcomed any increase in Microsoft investments in Egypt, stressing that the Egyptian market offers competitive advantages and qualified labor.

The praised the existing cooperation agreement between Egypt and Microsoft, under which the company provides program licenses to the government at reduced prices.

Nadella said his visit to Egypt coincides with Microsoft's 20th anniversary in the Egyptian market.

The company is acting to increase its activities and double the number of workers in Egypt, Nadella told Sisi.

Microsoft does not cover the Egyptian market only, but the Arab world and North Africa as well, he noted.

He said his company is keen on training young cadres, adding that Egypt has an innovation center and another for vocational support, not to mention its maintenance center.

Microsoft is also interested in implementing a number of initiatives to help and empower Egyptian youth and women, Nadella told Sisi .

Source: MENA