Egypt – The ICT Investor's Smart Choice  "We will make growth in the information technology sector a priority". President Hosni Mubarak, President of the Republic of Egypt, from his inaugural speech of the National Program for Information Technology, September 1999. Egypt is one of the few countries in which civilization has lasted continuously for thousands of years. To keep in step with the rapidly advancing world of the 21st Century, the government of Egypt has made the commitment to improve the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry and assist it in every way to grow and thrive. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) was founded in 1999, and has since been a key player in the advancement of the ICT sector in Egypt with a view to launching the country into the Information Age. "This government has created a climate which is favorable to investment and development expectations". Vincenzo Nesci, Chairman, Alcatel-Lucent Egypt and President Regional Unit Middle East