Intel Corp, the world's biggest chipmaker, said on Monday it has signed a deal with Boraq for Electronics and Industries, an Egyptian company to set up the first motherboards factory in Africa.

Intel Corporation chairman Craig Barrett said Intel motherboards, a key component for computers, will be assembled at the Egypt plant for shipment across Africa.

Barrett signed the pact with Boraq for Electronics and Industries and Egypt’s Information Technology Industry development Authority (ITIDA) in this regard.
 
Barrett later witnessed the signing of an MoU with Nile University (NU), a private institution that focuses on supporting a vibrant, technology-driven economy in Egypt.

Barrett dedicated a new technology development lab donated by Intel to Nile University, and announced a second agreement in which Intel and NU will work together to support Egypt’s higher education initiatives.

The arrangement with the local hardware manufacturer is part of Intel’s ongoing effort to advance Egypt’s technological, industrial and economic development, according to Egyptian Information Ministry.

As part of the ‘Intel World Ahead Program’, this agreement is the first of its kind and is set to kick off the assembly of motherboards locally in Egypt and export to the region”, said Dr Tarek Kamel, minister of communications and information technology.

“Intel will be committed to training the Egyptian workforce at the assembly plant as well as supporting the sales and marketing functions, while Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) will provide the necessary support for the export of these motherboards,” he noted.

According to him, 85 percent of the production will be exported to regional and African markets.

The Egyptian factory aims to provide between 400 and 600 new jobs over the next two years, he said.

"Dr Barrett’s visit shows the commitment of international companies to setting up projects in Egypt to serve the region."

“Intel has made a sustained commitment to help Egypt’s government develop its information technology industry,” said Barrett, who is making his third visit to Egypt on behalf of the Intel World Ahead Program.

“We believe that the co-operative programs we put in place today will lead to further successes in achieving the country’s economic objectives such as teaching technology skills at a young age.”
 
Barrett, who also chairs the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, noted that Intel’s move to enable motherboard assembly in Egypt aligns closely with goals outlined in the government’s Egypt 2010 strategic plan.-TradeArabia News Service