Bill Gates Inaugurates the Microsoft Middle East Developers Conference in Egypt

Cairo - January 30, 2005 -- Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft, inaugurated today the proceedings of the Microsoft Middle East Developers Conference (MDC) and gave the keynote address.

The conference was attended by more than 3000 developers representing major international corporations operating in information technology across the region.

Held in Egypt for the third year, MDC is rated as the most significant event for developers in the region; whereby participants exchange experiences and view the latest developments in software and programming.

"The Conference is a great opportunity for firms and individuals to identify and explore all the technological options, advantages and services of Microsoft programs. This exchange of information brings together a dynamic group of speakers and developers from Europe, USA, and the Middle East," said Karim Ramadan, General Manager, Microsoft Egypt.

The Four-day technical conference allows developers and programmers to share their experiences on how they benefit from different Microsoft software, such as Visual Studio.Net and SQL Server.

"The conference is valuable to all programmers and developers as by updating programmers with state-of-the-art technologies in development tools, as well as informing them with Microsoft’s best offerings," added Mr. Ramadan.

Moreover, specialized technical sessions will review new products and programs offered by Microsoft. This includes programs for development with multilingual support, operating platform servers, Microsoft Office, as well as other issues related to information security, one of today’s greatest concerns.

Earlier today, Bill Gates met with H. E., Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif to reinforce his commitment to Egypt by investing in technology through mega government projects. The meeting was also attended by His Excellency, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Tarek Kamel.

Following the meeting, Bill Gates inaugurated a number of projects in Smart Village in 6th of October City, including the Innovation Center, and the E-government center of Excellence for Middle East and Africa, and Xceed.

Yesterday, Bill Gates met a number of prominent businessmen at a dinner reception organized by the American Chamber of Commerce. The dinner was attended by members of the Chamber and media representatives. In his speech, Bill Gates expressed his optimism as to the investment climate in Egypt under the new government led by Dr. Ahmed Nazif.