Photos: Offshore outsourcing like an Egyptian
No jokes about pyramid selling, please
This might be the image of Egypt that most people are used to - pyramids and sand. But the government is trying to encourage companies to see it as a destination for business process and contact centre outsourcing.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger
A 'Smart Village' is being built in the desert 25km outside of Cairo. Xceed - a contact centre outfit - is one of the first companies to move in, along with the Ministry of Communications and IT itself.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger
Not all of Cairo is so futuristic - around the ring road there is a huge amount of building going on as the city struggles to cope with its huge population. Many homes have steel columns sticking out of the roof so that another level can be put on top by the next generation of the family.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger
Raya is another contact centre company, based in Cairo. This building was a shopping mall before Raya took it over to cater for its customers. Among its clients, Raya takes the orders for McDonald's, which offers a 24-hour home delivery service in Cairo.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger