The National Council for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI), chaired by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, has adopted Egypt’s Open Data Policy, prepared and drafted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
Entering into force in August 2025, the Policy serves as a transitional framework pending the enactment of a data governance law and its executive regulations.
This policy marks the first comprehensive national framework for making non-sensitive public data held by government entities accessible, in line with leading international practices while reflecting the national context and sustainable development priorities. It stands as a foundational milestone towards responsible data governance and the optimal use of data to foster innovation, stimulate the digital economy, enhance transparency and accountability, and improve the quality of government services.
The policy also aligns with the global trend of adopting data-driven governance models. Through its implementation, Egypt aims to reinforce the principles of good governance and empower individuals, the private sector, and academic institutions to reuse and leverage public data in developing innovative applications and services. The Policy also promotes integration among state institutions through a clear institutional framework for data exchange.
In this context, MCIT submitted the final version of the policy to NCAI, where it was formally adopted as a reference document for all government entities. This adoption marks the commencement of the institutional and technical implementation phase, guided by clear mechanisms and well-defined standards.
Egypt’s Open Data Policy aims to consolidate the principles of transparency, accountability, and public trust by enabling individuals and institutions to access and use public data.
It is designed to drive the development of innovative digital products and services, enhance government service delivery, and improve the quality of operations.
It also supports planning and policymaking processes based on accurate data, contributes to aligning national efforts with international standards, and strengthens Egypt’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the digital transformation agenda, reflecting the country’s vision of building a more open and inclusive knowledge-based economy.
The Policy is anchored in a set of guidelines that reflect global best practices and align with national priorities, aiming at ensuring the effective and sustainable implementation of open data initiatives. Among these principles is “open by default,” which stipulates that public data shall be made available unless there are clear legal restrictions, thus enhancing government transparency and enabling public access to non-sensitive data.
The Policy also emphasizes the importance of timely data availability to ensure it remains up-to-date and relevant, allowing for effective use in decision-making, emergency response, public policy development, and innovation advancement. In addition, it underlines the need for accessibility and usability by making data available in open, machine-readable formats, together with clear documentation and metadata, enabling users across varying technical backgrounds to leverage it effectively.
In most cases, data should be made available free of charge to remove barriers to its use, especially for innovators, researchers, and small institutions while permitting reasonable fees only in specific instances to cover operational or technical costs, as stipulated by the policy.
Moreover, the Policy places great emphasis on ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of published data and the necessity of providing metadata and glossaries that clarify its source, update history, and organizational structure, ensuring its reliability and reusability. It also promotes public engagement and feedback, recognizing community interaction as an effective tool for improving data quality, setting priorities, and strengthening trust between the government and users.
Under this policy, NCAI assumes overall responsibility for overseeing its implementation during the transitional period by establishing a joint data access committee.
This committee will review and approve datasets proposed for publication by various government entities, ensuring their alignment with emerging national standards and international best practices.
The Policy also mandates the appointment of open data officers in each government agency. They will be responsible for identifying, classifying, publishing, and ensuring the quality of datasets, as well as coordinating with the technical committee. At a later stage, these responsibilities will be transferred to the Egyptian Data Governance Authority (EDGA) upon its establishment under the new law.
Following the Policy’s adoption, MCIT has started implementing a comprehensive plan for building institutional and technical capacity, including staff training, the development of a unified national open data portal, and the establishment of evaluation frameworks and mechanisms for public engagement, in coordination with various ministries and government entities.
For more information, kindly access Egypt’s Open Data Policy, available in both Arabic and English on NCAI official website.
