President directs modernizing Maspero, developing Egyptian media institutions

CAIRO – 27 July 2026: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Monday in El-Alamein with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and key senior state officials to review progress on modernizing Egypt's media infrastructure and digitizing its historic broadcasting archives.

Attendees included Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi, Minister of State for Information Diaa Rashwan, Presidential Advisor for Media Major General Mohsen Abdel-Nabi, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Khaled Abdel Aziz, Chairman of the National Media Authority Ahmed El-Moslemany, Director of the Armed Forces Signal Corps Major General Hani Mansour, and Director of the Armed Forces Information Systems Department Major General Walid Attia.

Official Presidential Spokesperson, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy, stated that the meeting focused on the execution status of the project to archive and digitize Egypt's radio and television heritage. The strategic initiative aims to protect the nation's most valuable cultural assets and make them digitally accessible through partnerships with relevant state institutions and leading international tech firms.

During the meeting, National Media Authority Chairman Ahmed El-Moslemany emphasized that the Egyptian Radio and Television archive stands as the largest and most significant media repository in the Arab region, chronicling decades of Egyptian history. He described the project as a vital, long-term investment in safeguarding national heritage for future generations.

Ambassador El-Shenawy detailed the technical scope of the project, which involves inventorying, cataloging, and indexing nearly one million audio and video tapes, ÿtotaling approximately 800,000 hours of programming. The project uses advanced technology and artificial intelligence applications to convert legacy media into high-quality digital formats within a secure, easily searchable database.

The meeting also covered plans to upgrade the technical infrastructure and equipment of the Maspero studios to boost production efficiency, alongside strategies to expand content distribution across digital streaming platforms.

President El-Sisi reviewed several initiatives aimed at bolstering national media under the "Digital First" strategy. These include the launch of the "Maspero Platform" and dedicated efforts to preserve the heritage of iconic Quran reciters and religous chanters, safeguarding historic broadcasts from the Holy Quran Radio since its founding in 1964.

Concluding the meeting, President El-Sisi directed that the ongoing preservation efforts and achievements of the Egyptian Television Library be presented publicly. He stressed that modernizing Maspero requires a comprehensive approach, combining updated infrastructure, expanded original content, and digitized archives. The President called for close coordination across state bodies and media entities to keep pace with rapid industry shifts, leveraging qualified specialists to ensure professional and impactful media messaging.