A tablet made in Egypt

Silicon Industries (SICO Technology), an Egyptian electronics manufacturer, launched its first locally-made tablet computer this week.

Though it includes foreign-made components provided through a partnership with China, “the percentage of locally-produced components is 45 per cent,” Mohamed Salem, chairman of SICO Technology, said.

The locally produced tablet, dubbed the SICO Express 3, is manufactured in Upper Egypt’s Assiut governorate and sells for LE1,149.

“In the first two weeks of production, 10,000 tablets will be released onto the market. We plan to produce 150,000 tablets this year and double that number next year,” Salem said during the launch of the SICO Express 3.

SICO Technology is a member of the Al-Sayed Salem Group, founded in 1948 as a leading business conglomerate.

SICO itself started operations in 2003, and in May 2016 signed an agreement with the Chinese Megan Group in the Chinese city of Shenzhen to manufacture a range of modern electronic devices in Egypt.