The “Shaping Egypt AI Horizon” forum, organized by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) in collaboration with 500 Global, was attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MICT) Dr. Amr Talaat at the Creativa Innovation Hub in Giza. The event brought together AI industry professionals, venture capital founders, entrepreneurs, and startups to discuss Egypt’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2025-2030).
The forum was part of MICT’s efforts to engage with the private sector and relevant entities to highlight the role of AI in supporting entrepreneurship and driving investment in technological advancements. Dr. Talaat emphasized the ministry’s commitment to engaging regularly with stakeholders to understand the evolving needs of AI in various sectors.
The discussion focused on the six key pillars of Egypt’s National AI Strategy (2025-2030):
- Building the computing infrastructure necessary for AI model training.
- Establishing data governance to ensure AI accessibility and responsible use.
- Implementing AI-powered systems for real-world applications.
- Fostering AI talent and capacity-building to meet market demands.
- Developing regulatory frameworks for AI ethics and policy.
- Promoting ecosystem growth by connecting startups, enterprises, and investors.
Engineer Ahmed Alzaher from ITIDA highlighted the agency’s role in connecting stakeholders within Egypt’s AI ecosystem, including government entities, startups, investors, and businesses, to foster collaboration and discover new AI applications. ITIDA is also addressing the shortage of specialized skills by offering advanced training in AI tools, software engineering, and responsible usage.
500 Global, represented by Managing Partner Ms. Amal Anan, emphasized the firm’s commitment to expanding its investments in collaboration with ITIDA and integrating AI into startup operations to promote growth in the AI sector.
Dr. Hoda Baraka, Advisor to the ICT Minister, shared that the government’s efforts to build AI capabilities include training 30,000 AI specialists, enabling 26% of Egypt’s workforce to use AI tools, and increasing AI adoption among citizens by 36% as part of the second phase of the National AI Strategy.
