Vodafone Business unveiled two strategic partnerships, with Elsewedy Electric and Cassava Technologies, that will hand Egypt its largest data center and its first sovereign AI data center in a single stroke, decisively strengthening the country's digital economy and cementing its status as a regional hub for data and technology. The signing took place at the Grand Egyptian Museum, under the presence of H.E. Eng. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, alongside senior leadership from Vodafone Egypt, Elsewedy Electric and Cassava Technologies. The announcement directly advances the state's agenda to localize artificial intelligence and build a more resilient digital economy.
"The establishment of new data centers in Egypt is a direct reflection of the momentum building across the country's ICT sector, and of the private sector's growing confidence in Egypt's digital economy. These partnerships mark a shift in what technology investment in Egypt means: no longer just the delivery of digital services, but the construction of the infrastructure that will underpin the economies of the future. They are a concrete step in a broader national agenda to position Egypt as a regional hub for data exchange, computing and artificial intelligence," said Eng. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology. "Expanding data center capacity in Egypt is a growing priority for us. We are preparing an integrated national strategy for data centers to set a clear roadmap for the state's storage and computing needs over the coming years, backed by competitive investment packages and a regulatory environment built to attract capital and meet international standards."
He added: "This strategy is built to deliver on multiple fronts at once: operational efficiency and sustainability, faster digital transformation, and a new generation of Egyptian talent capable of building and running world-class data centers. Critically, it strengthens our digital sovereignty, giving Egypt the national infrastructure to host and secure critical data and applications under our own laws and protections. Egypt's advantages here are real and structural: our geographic position and our submarine cable network place us at the center of global data flows. Our task now is to convert that advantage into economic value, by scaling our capacity to host and process data, drawing in global cloud and technology providers, and serving markets locally, regionally and internationally."
He concluded: "Digital sovereignty is not about closing doors, it's about engaging with technology, investment and international partnership from a position of strength: strong infrastructure, strong national capability, and clear frameworks that protect data and secure critical services. That is the foundation we are building. The Ministry will keep backing the investments that add new capability to Egypt's digital infrastructure, keep developing national talent, keep reinforcing cybersecurity and sovereignty, and keep securing Egypt's place in a global economy that runs on data, knowledge and artificial intelligence."
Mohamed Abdallah, CEO of Vodafone Egypt and the International Markets of Vodacom, stated, "Such partnerships reflect our commitment to our role as a long-term technology partner in supporting Egypt's digital transformation and turning our investments into real drivers of economic development. By developing digital infrastructure, supporting AI applications and enabling vital sectors, we are contributing to attracting further investment, creating jobs and growing digital exports. With the rapid growth of cloud services and artificial intelligence, countries' ability to host and process data locally has become a key factor in strengthening their competitiveness. Egypt has a significant opportunity to consolidate its position as a regional hub for data and technology, particularly as Africa currently accounts for less than 1% of global data center capacity."
Building on that opportunity, Vodafone Business is teaming up with Elsewedy Electric and Cassava Technologies to establish Africa Data Centres Egypt, which will develop the country's largest data center to the latest global standards. The project draws on Vodafone Business's global expertise in cloud services and enterprise solutions, Elsewedy Electric's capabilities in infrastructure, energy and project delivery, and Cassava Technologies' extensive data center experience across the African continent.
"Data centers are witnessing strong growth globally, and Egypt has a strong opportunity to capture a larger share of this market," said Eng. Ahmed El Sewedy, President and CEO of Elsewedy Electric. "Through our partnership in Africa Data Centres Egypt, we are bringing together Elsewedy Electric's expertise in energy and large-scale project execution with our partners' capabilities in data centers and technology to develop a project capable of serving the Egyptian market and attracting global companies to operate from Egypt."
He added: "Data centers require energy solutions that are reliable, efficient and continuous, which directly complement our capabilities and experience. We see this project as an opportunity to expand the scope of our business, contribute to the development of this sector in Egypt and build on this experience across other markets on the African continent."
"As we work to build advanced digital infrastructure that drives the digital economy across Africa and the Middle East, Egypt stands out as a strategically pivotal market," said Hardy Pemhiwa, Group CEO and President of Cassava Technologies. "Through our partnership with Vodafone Business and Elsewedy Electric, we are combining global expertise with local capabilities to develop resilient, scalable data center infrastructure in line with the highest international standards. Our goal is not only to increase data center capacity, but also to build the digital foundation that enables enterprises, cloud service providers and technology companies to grow and innovate, while attracting further global investment into Egypt and strengthening its position as a leading regional hub for data, cloud services and digital innovation."
The project targets an initial operational capacity of 20 MW within its first three years, on a clear expansion path toward 200 MW, enabling large enterprises, cloud service providers and global companies to launch and scale operations from Egypt. Phase one alone is expected to draw approximately USD 200 million in foreign direct investment, with total investment reaching USD 1 billion once full capacity is realized. The project is projected to create up to 200 direct jobs and around 2,000 indirect jobs, drawing on Egyptian talent to build, operate and manage the facility.
The second partnership, with Cassava Technologies, will see Vodafone Business develop and deliver advanced sovereign AI infrastructure in Egypt, the country's first data center dedicated to running advanced AI applications and use cases locally. The move strengthens Egypt's regional standing in attracting data center and AI investment, reinforces its position as a regional technology hub, and enhances the country's ability to host and process data domestically, made possible by bringing NVIDIA's leading advanced computing and AI technologies to Egypt through Cassava Technologies, NVIDIA's first cloud partner in Africa.
"Vodafone Business's strategy is built on leveraging our global expertise and technology partnerships to bring the latest solutions and advanced technologies to the local market, supporting the development of Egypt's digital economy," said Mahmoud ElKhateeb, Vodafone Business Executive Director. "The establishment of ADC Egypt in partnership with Elsewedy Electric and Cassava Technologies reflects this strategy by developing the largest data center in Egypt, combining global expertise with local capabilities to build world-class, scalable digital infrastructure. This is complemented by the launch of Egypt's first sovereign AI data center in partnership with Cassava Technologies, making GPU-as-a-Service available locally and enabling enterprises to develop and run AI applications at scale while keeping data within Egypt in line with regulatory requirements. This also enhances cybersecurity, as well as levels of data control and protection, accelerates the adoption of modern technologies, and supports the growth of the digital economy and the creation of new jobs in technology and innovation."
"As NVIDIA's only cloud partner in Africa, we are building advanced AI infrastructure across the continent," said Ahmed El Beheiry, Executive Vice President, Technology and AI Officer and CEO of Cassava AI. "Our partnership with Vodafone Business marks an important step in this journey, as we work to make advanced computing capabilities and GPU-as-a-Service available in Egypt. This will enable enterprises to develop and run AI applications at scale while maintaining data sovereignty. Through this partnership, we look forward to supporting Egypt's position as a regional hub for AI and innovation serving Africa and the Middle East."
Together, the two partnerships underscore Vodafone Egypt's growing role as a strategic partner in building the country's digital economy, building on investments exceeding EGP 125 billion injected into Egypt over the past 28 years, alongside planned investments of more than EGP 20 billion during the 2026/2027 fiscal year. It is a continued, decisive commitment from Vodafone Egypt to direct its investments toward digital capabilities that support economic development and strengthen the Egyptian market's competitiveness, regionally and globally.
