BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) will open its first Africa-based development centre in Cairo, the Canadian firm announced on Sunday.

The centre, due to hire Egyptian software engineers, will be established at Smart Village, the high-tech industrial park located alongside the Cairo-Alexandria road on the western edge of the capital.

RIM’s regional manager for North Africa, Ben Quirin, said the company had taken greater interest in Egypt in the wake of the 2011 uprising, noting the central role played by information technology in organising protests and spreading news.

Quirin said that the plans were going ahead despite Egypt’s political uncertainty. He did not, however, give any indication of the size of investment RIM is planning.

One application currently under development will provide BlackBerry users with information about Egypt’s coming presidential elections, Quirin said.