Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, led by Minister Raafat Hendy, has officially launched Wa3i.net, an integrated Arabic platform dedicated to digital citizenship and online safety, coinciding with Safer Internet Day in February. The launch was accompanied by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood to strengthen cooperation on child online protection.
Wa3i.net provides age-appropriate content for children, adolescents, youth, parents, educators, and the elderly. The platform promotes safe technology use, raises awareness of digital risks, builds critical thinking, safeguards personal data, and provides guidance and resources for families and educators.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior officials including NCCM President Sahar El Sonbaty, UNICEF Egypt Representative Natalia Winder Rossi, UNDP Egypt Resident Representative Chitose Noguchi, and various civil society representatives. During the event, the MoU was formalized to reinforce institutional coordination on child online protection, focusing on awareness content development, support services, and professional capacity building in digital citizenship.
Minister Hendy emphasized that the initiative reflects Egypt’s commitment to protecting children amid rapid digital transformation. The MoU aligns with directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to pair digital infrastructure expansion with public awareness campaigns. The plan also supports legislative efforts in the House of Representatives to regulate children’s internet use while ensuring access to online learning and creativity.
Under the agreement, MCIT will develop interactive digital content on Wa3i.net, ensure accessibility for children with disabilities, protect data privacy, and conduct workshops and training for children, parents, and educators. NCCM will lead national child protection awareness campaigns, coordinate policies, review digital content, and conduct nationwide digital citizenship sessions.
UNICEF and UNDP expressed strong support for Egypt’s initiatives, highlighting the importance of safeguarding vulnerable groups in the country’s transition toward a knowledge-based society.
Since the program’s inception, the Digital Citizenship and Online Safety Initiative has delivered 38 training courses for 1,727 teachers, 13 courses on digital citizenship skills for 658 participants, 40 online awareness sessions for 1,868 parents and youth, and 41 interactive workshops for 2,472 children and adolescents, in collaboration with schools, libraries, youth centers, governorates, and civil society organizations.
