The “Shaping Egypt AI Horizon” forum, organized by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) in collaboration with 500 Global, focused on Egypt’s National AI Strategy (2025-2030) and its potential to support entrepreneurship and technology investment. The event, held at the Creativa Innovation Hub in Giza, brought together AI professionals, venture capitalists, company representatives, and startup entrepreneurs.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Amr Talaat, attended the forum and underscored the importance of fostering a robust AI ecosystem in Egypt. The forum aimed to discuss the AI strategy with the private sector and other stakeholders, highlighting the need for collaboration to accelerate the country’s AI-driven growth.
Dr. Talaat reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with stakeholders in the ICT sector to understand their needs, particularly as AI continues to play a critical role in various industries. He noted that the forum sought to facilitate dialogue between Egypt’s AI ecosystem, encompassing government, startups, SMEs, the private sector, and AI-driven industries.
The National AI Strategy (2025-2030) is centered around six key pillars:
- Computing Infrastructure to support AI model training
- Data Governance ensuring AI accessibility and responsible use
- AI-Powered Systems for real-world applications
- AI Talent and Capacity-Building to meet market needs
- Regulatory Frameworks for AI ethics and policies
- Ecosystem Growth connecting startups, enterprises, and investors
ITIDA’s Role in the AI Ecosystem
Engineer Ahmed Alzaher, ITIDA’s representative, explained that the agency’s role is to connect all stakeholders within Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including government, startups, investors, and companies. ITIDA is focused on exploring collaboration opportunities, discovering AI applications, and addressing market needs. The agency is offering training in software engineering, AI tools, and responsible AI use, along with internationally recognized certifications. ITIDA has already engaged with 37 startups to tackle challenges such as the shortage of specialized AI skills.
500 Global’s Contribution
Ms. Amal Anan, Managing Partner at 500 Global, highlighted the importance of facilitating discussions between local and global AI companies. She emphasized that 500 Global is increasing its investments in collaboration with ITIDA, with a particular focus on integrating AI into startup activities and fostering innovation in the sector.
MICT’s AI Commitment
Dr. Hoda Baraka, Advisor to the ICT Minister, further emphasized the government’s dedication to building AI capabilities and integrating AI solutions into key sectors. The second phase of Egypt’s National AI Strategy includes ambitious targets: training 30,000 AI specialists, enabling 26% of Egypt’s workforce to use AI tools, and increasing AI adoption among citizens by 36%.
