CAIRO. Aug 7: Egypt's personal computer market has grown at the world’s fastest rate for the second year in a row. according to a leading industry monitor and consultant, says Xinhua.

New figures from the International Data Corp. (IDC) show that Egypt saw shipment of nearly 84.000 units worth 150 million US dollars in 1996, registering growth rates of 43 per cent and 49 per cent in shipments and value respectively.

The nations' installed base reached 311,886 units in 1996, up by 34 per cent over the previous year, according to the figures published by the latest issue of business monthly, the Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.

"The growth rate is phenomenal," says Abdel Aziz Ismail. Managing Director of IDC Egypt. Momentum thus far has come from an explosion in the individual and "Soho" (Small-Offlce, Home-Office) segments, he said.

Despite widespread skepticism about the sustainability of such advances, the IDC is forecasting continued strong growth Tor the near future.

The flrm expects to see five-year average annual growth of 38 per cent in shipments. 43 per cent in value and 37 per cent in installation through the year 2000. at which point the firm predicts the value of personal computers shipments for Egypt will top 6 million dollars, an estimate it calls conservative.

By that time, the IDC said, Egypt will have installed more than one million computers.

In 1992. Egypt recorded shipment of JusF24.000 unite, and had an Installed based of Just 100,000.