People and skills availability, financial attractiveness and business environment establish Egypt as world's 6th most attractive offshoring location

CAIRO, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Egypt has emerged as the 6th most attractive offshoring destination according to the 2009 A.T. Kearney Global Services Location Index(TM) entering the top 10 for the first time.

The report analyzes and ranks countries for locating outsourcing activities including IT services, contact centers and back office support. It measures against three categories -- financial attractiveness, people and skills availability and business environment.

Egypt, having ranked 13th in 2007, is fast becoming one of the world's hottest offshoring destinations and has established itself as the leading Middle East and North Africa location. The report cited the competitive cost and the availability of qualified people on top of Egypt's biggest attractions.

A recent report by the Commonwealth Business Council and CyberMedia also highlights Egypt's continued progress and capabilities, ranking it the number one outsourcing destination in Africa. The study which outlined the outsourcing readiness of 15 African nations, clearly expressed that infrastructure, people and skills played a key role in the offering, with Egypt ranking highly in these areas, and topping the list overall.

Commenting on the findings of the recent A.T. Kearney report, Dr. Hazem Abdelazim, CEO of Egypt's Information Technology Development Industry Agency (ITIDA) said: "We are seeing a continued shift in the global outsourcing landscape. Companies looking to outsource are looking not only at the cost benefits, but also at the skills and availability of talent and the overall business environment. Egypt is continuing to push forward in developing its large talent pool and in providing a safe, modern business environment."

The ever-growing list of multinationals investing in Egypt including Vodafone, Teleperformance, IBM, Microsoft, SQS, Stream Global Services, and Valeo is another testament to the country's unwavering efforts to establish itself as a leading global outsourcing destination.

About ITIDA:

The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) is a governmental entity affiliated to Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It is responsible for growing and developing Egypt's position as a leading global outsourcing location by attracting foreign direct investment to the industry and maximizing the exports of IT services and applications.

Located in the heart of the modern business environment at Smart Village, the six hundred acre business park on the outskirts of Cairo, ITIDA is a self sustainable entity that drives the IT industry in Egypt and raises awareness among the Egyptian people of the benefits and use of ICT to advance socio-economic welfare of the whole community.

Contact details

    Ahmed Reda
    Media & Communication Manager
    Information Technology Industry Development Agency
    T: +202 534 51 85
    E: areda@itida.gov.eg

    Ramya Kumaraswamy
    Hill & Knowlton
    T: 212 885 0552
    E: ramya.kumaraswamy@hillandknowlton.com

SOURCE Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA)

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