Egypt has won the prestigious title of Outsourcing Destination of the Year at the National Outsourcing Association's 2008 Awards held in London, beating rivals Philippines and Romania to the accolade. According to the judges, Egypt won the award due to its language skills, young population and growing list of global sourcing investments.

'Egypt is putting its mark on the map of favored global services locations. Its young population, large multi-lingual workforce, solid infrastructure and competitive cost structure is fortified by unequivocal government support, making Egypt a compelling destination for outsourcing services.' said Dr. Hazem Abdelazim, CEO of Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency, (ITIDA)

Egypt "The Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country in North Africa that includes the Sinai Peninsula, a land bridge to Asia. Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,660 sq mi), Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus; the eastern coast borders the Red Sea.
Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa. The great majority of its estimated 78 million people (2007) live near the banks of the Nile River in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi) where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely populated centers of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.
Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and the Great Sphinx. The southern city of Luxor contains numerous ancient artifacts, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Egypt is widely regarded as an important political and cultural nation of the Middle East." Wikipedia Reference.

People of Egypt (Population)

1. Ethnic:
   Eastern stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French)1%.

2. Religions:
   Muslim(mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%.

3. Languages:
   Arabic(official), English and French widely understood by educated classes.

Government of Egypt

• Country name: Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt).
• Local short form: Misr.
• Local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah.
• Government type: Republic.
• Capital: Cairo.
• Administrative divisions: 27 governorates.
• Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK).
• National holiday: Revolution Day, 23 July (1952).
• Constitution: 11 September 1971.
• Legal system: Based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions) accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
• Executive branch: Chief of state: President “Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK” (since 14 October 1981).
• Head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004).
• Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield super imposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band.

Egypt Time (GMT + 2hours)

• National Day: 23 July (anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July 1952).
• Phone Codes: Egypt Country Code: 2
• Codes for major Cities: Cairo: 02 & Alexandria: 03.
• When calling a city from outside Egypt, remove the “0” in front of the local code. The country code is 00 (20) plus Cairo local code (02) - becomes 00 (202).

Egypt Currency

• Egyptian Pound (EGP; symbol £E) = 100 piaster. Notes are in denominations of £E 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 1, 50 piasters and 25 piasters. Coins are in denominations of 100, 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5 piasters.
• Currency exchange
• Available at banks, official bureau de change and most hotels. Banks often have better exchange rates than bureau de change or hotels. All common international currencies are accepted.
• Exchange rate indicators: http://touregypt.net/money/ .
• Credit & debit cards
• American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted, but only bigger hotels or restaurants in Cairo and restaurants in tourist areas will accept credit cards as payment. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which maybe available.
• Currency restrictions
• The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited. The import of local currency is unlimited. The export of local currency is prohibited.
• Banking hours
• Sun-Thurs 08:30-14:00.