Interview with Orange Egypt’s Chief Business Officer Mohamed Shebl

Telcos are looking beyond traditional connectivity for growth, with IT, cloud, and AI becoming a bigger part of the enterprise play. On the buy side, real estate developers are among those driving that growth as smart-city features increasingly become a selling point for residential compounds. We spoke with Orange Egypt Chief Business Officer Mohamed Shebl on the sidelines of the EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum about where he believes enterprise growth is coming from, what developers are actually buying, and why going digital is becoming less of a choice for businesses.

EnterpriseAM: What’s growing fastest in the enterprise business right now?

MS: IT services. Over the last two years we’ve gone through a big transformation, adding IT services and AI services to our portfolio. That’s the fastest-growing part of our business.

EnterpriseAM: How are real estate developers becoming some of the tech sector’s biggest B2B customers, what are they buying?

MS: The real estate business is transforming into what’s called the smart city. That’s why it’s becoming so important for us. Developers don’t just want traditional services like triple play anymore. They want full smart-city solutions, full IT solutions, smart-home solutions. There’s a pricing advantage too: when you offer smart solutions, the price is higher.

EnterpriseAM: You signed with Marakez last month on four developments. What does Orange actually deliver in a deal like that?

MS: Orange already provides smart-city services to most class-A compounds. Signing with Marakez adds one of the biggest real estate developers in Egypt. We provide the standard services, connectivity and triple play, to residents, as well as smart-city services that will be introduced to Marakez’ clients.

EnterpriseAM: How has the mix of the enterprise business shifted away from traditional telecom?

MS: We used to be a traditional telco, but over the past four or five years we’ve transformed. ICT and connectivity services have now reached almost 40% of our revenues, which is why this is our fastest-growing area.

EnterpriseAM: What’s the biggest thing holding back corporate digital spending in Egypt?

MS: Holding back on digital spending isn’t an option anymore. Technology has advanced so much in the last few years that if you’re not digital, you’re left behind. I don’t think companies that don’t go digital will still be in business in 10 years.

EnterpriseAM: Where do you see the business and the sector headed from here?

MS: I see a big transformation over the next 10 years, with IT and AI, and with the investment the government is making in data centers in Egypt. The business will change a lot. The ones who have invested in capabilities, technology, and technical teams are the ones who will win.