Thales and Egypt-based Cyshield have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop joint digital solutions for border management and electronic passports in Egypt, while pursuing future national projects across key markets in the Middle East and Africa.
The partnership will bring together digital products and expertise from Thales and Cyshield, with the aim of delivering secure, seamless and scalable solutions in line with international standards. The collaboration is also intended to support national projects and future digital transformation initiatives across the region.
The MoU covers two strategic projects. The first focuses on modernizing Egypt’s border management systems through infrastructure development, biometric technologies, new electronic gates for passenger entry and exit, back-end port management systems, and front-end applications connecting the country’s air, land and sea ports through an integrated platform.
The initiative is designed to support Egypt’s efforts to upgrade tourism infrastructure and increase port capacity as the country works toward its target of welcoming 30 million tourists by 2030. It will also strengthen border intelligence capabilities, helping authorities assess potential risks and address security threats across more than 32 border points.
The second project focuses on updating the companies’ joint digital solutions for electronic passport issuance and data registration in Egypt, supporting the nationwide rollout of the new e-passport and the development of a secure passport issuance system.
Dr. Mustafa Issa, CEO of Cyshield, said the partnership would combine Thales’ global innovation with Cyshield’s local implementation capabilities to deliver digital solutions in line with international standards.
He added that Cyshield, an Egyptian-owned company with more than a decade of experience, has completed over 350 projects with the support of a team of more than 1,000 specialists in digital solutions, data science and cybersecurity. The company works closely with government entities on national initiatives and aims to expand its presence in global markets.
Sharif Barakat, CEO of Thales in Egypt, said the MoU represents another step in the companies’ collaboration and reflects Thales’ commitment to supporting digital transformation and national sovereignty initiatives in Egypt.
He added that combining Thales’ international expertise with Cyshield’s local capabilities would help deliver secure and scalable solutions aligned with Egypt’s national priorities, while creating opportunities to support digital transformation projects across the Middle East and Africa.
Thales has operated in Egypt for more than five decades, supporting the country in defence, space and cybersecurity, while working with local partners to develop sovereign capabilities, nurture talent and advance digital transformation.
