ACME SAICO CEO Dr. Khalid Derbala delivered a presentation on digital transformation in the real estate sector in a workshop organized by the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES) last March. During the workshop, he discussed the importance of understanding the mechanisms of the sector prior to initiating the digitization process due to its high-risk nature and sizeable contribution to the country’s GDP.
According to Derbala, the strategic objectives of achieving digital transformation in the real estate sector include attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increasing sovereign revenues for the state by formalizing economic activities.
He showcased current in-sector processes, such as the issuance of building permits, and proposed enhancing them through a Digital Unified Process (DTP), which would promote governance, reduce irregularities, and maintain compliance with urban planning.
Derbala is an ongoing participant and a digital transformation consultant in a series of workshops organized by the ECES on ‘A Detailed Research Agenda to Enhance Ongoing Governmental Efforts to Digitize the Egyptian Economy.’
During a previous workshop, Derbala delivered a presentation on digital transformation and its effect on Trading across Borders; highlighting objectives such as facilitating legitimate trade, developing human resources, and maintaining fair and efficient revenue collection methods. Citing World Bank data, he identified current gaps, such as the system’s complete dependency on human resources and the absence of a unified pricing system, among others.
According to ECES research, Egypt ranks 54 out of 60 countries in the center’s Digital Development Index. The series of workshops will therefore discuss existing gaps and ways to benefit from best practices.
The workshops come in conjunction with other nationwide efforts to achieve governmental digital transformation, including the Ministry of Planning and its role in activating the Egyptian Government Services Portal, as well as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and its projects in collaboration with the private sector.