Egypt uses metaverse technology for 1st time

Cairo, The Gulf Observer: In Egypt, the Ministry of Local Development is working to raise the capabilities of workers in localities.

Within days, the Ministry, through the Local Development Center in Saqqara, will begin implementing the training plan for localities for the fiscal year 2022/2023 through 155 courses and workshops, an increase of 27 percent compared to the number of trainings in the previous year, and the plan is implemented within 10 months, with a total of 40 actual weeks, and a total of 183 training weeks, an increase of 17 percent compared to the previous training year.

The ministry confirmed that the number of courses in line with the state’s orientation to digital transformation will be increased and new courses will be implemented for the first time, such as the Metaverse applications course in improving local services, a course on artificial intelligence and the virtual world, a course of preparing a digital trainer (remote training), and data analysis course.

A laboratory dedicated to future foresight applications will be established with all its devices, equipment and programs through a grant provided by the Regional Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Future Foresight to be used in the plan.

In this context, Dr. Khaled Qassem, Assistant Minister of Local Development, for Institutional Development and Policy Support, the official spokesman for the ministry, revealed the nature of the Metaverse applications course to be given to workers in localities to improve citizen services.

He stressed that in this course, the artificial intelligence, historical and development of virtual platforms, and clarification will be made. The method of communicating with citizens is “online”, pointing out that the second life virtual reality platform will be taught.

Qassem further added that the application will be used to create a virtual environment similar to real technology centers with the possibility of accessing the service via the Internet from home, noting that the targeted sectors are workers in technology centers as a first stage.

He also explained that the Local Development Center in Saqqara set conditions for joining this type of courses, the most important of which are “good knowledge of computers and the English language.” The courses are provided by certified trainers at the Local Development Center in Saqqara in the field of digital transformation and IT.

Khaled Qassem, the spokesman for the Ministry of Local Development, confirmed that after measuring the impact of the application, the ministry will discuss the possibility of generalizing the experience and make it available to citizens wishing to conduct any services for localities through virtual reality or metaverse.