Egypt hosted the inaugural edition of the AI Everything Middle East and Africa Summit and Expo in Cairo last week, organised by Dubai’s GITEX Global Initiative and hosted by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The event aligns with Egypt’s second National AI Strategy, which aims to attract investment and unlock an estimated $42.7 billion in AI-driven economic value by 2030.
GITEX Global is one of the world’s largest technology exhibitions, held annually in Dubai and organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre. Over the years, it has evolved into a global platform held in different world capitals and connecting governments, technology companies, startups, and investors across sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech, and digital transformation.
The event’s international expansion is led by KAOUN International, the overseas events company of the Dubai World Trade Centre. KAOUN manages the global rollout of the GITEX brand through specialised and regional editions.
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International and Executive Vice President of the Dubai World Trade Centre, told Al-Ahram Weekly that Egypt’s hosting of the first edition of the summit sends a clear message that the country is viewed as a gateway to the Middle East and Africa.
GITEX Global plans to organise editions of the event throughout the year in 13 countries, including the UAE, India, Singapore, Kenya, and Türkiye, with a second edition scheduled to take place in Egypt in September 2026.
Although branded as a Middle East and Africa platform, the events reflect GITEX Global’s broader international expansion into major technology hubs worldwide.
Speaking to the Weekly, Ayman Hassan, Vice President of KAOUN, said the launch of the inaugural event in Cairo marks a turning point in Egypt’s digital transformation and underscores the country’s growing stature in the global artificial intelligence landscape.
“Held under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the two-day summit and exhibition reflects the strategic importance of artificial intelligence within Egypt’s economic development roadmap,” Hassan said.
He added that the presidential patronage sends a clear signal that AI has become a core pillar of national policy, positioning it as a driver of economic growth, industrial competitiveness, and human capital development.
Presented by GITEX and hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the summit highlights Egypt’s ambition to serve as a convening force linking Africa, the Middle East, and global innovation ecosystems.
Hassan said that AI now sits at the heart of Egypt’s national priorities, noting that President Al-Sisi has repeatedly emphasised the need to expand investment in the AI and ICT sectors, while equipping future generations with the skills required for emerging industries.
He stressed that the summit event in Egypt directly supports this vision by bringing together policymakers, investors, and technology leaders around applied AI solutions rather than theoretical discussions.
The event attracted more than 350 AI enterprises and startups from over 30 countries, showcasing advanced technologies and real-world applications across sectors such as public services, smart cities, cybersecurity, fintech, digital payments, mobility, and enterprise transformation.
Hassan noted that the participation of several international organisations, making their first market entry into Egypt, reflects the country’s growing status as a regional gateway for AI-driven investment and expansion.
The event also witnessed high-level participation that included over 10 foreign ministers, alongside representatives from global institutions such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the UAE Cybersecurity Council.
Discussions focused on responsible AI practices, strengthening governance frameworks, scaling national AI infrastructure, and developing sustainable policy and investment models.
Egypt’s newly-appointed Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi said Egypt’s hosting of the first edition of the summit reflects the country’s ambition to position itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence–driven innovation, investment, and talent development.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Hindi said that AI has become a central pillar of Egypt’s digital transformation agenda, noting that the ministry is developing a portfolio of national AI-powered applications across key sectors, including early disease detection, education, machine translation, government services, and speech-to-text technologies.
The minister stressed that within Egypt’s digital strategy, AI is not treated as a standalone technology, but rather as a national capability designed to deliver measurable societal impact, aligned with development priorities and public-interest needs.
He explained that one pillar of the national AI framework focuses on deploying applications that respond to real societal needs rather than serving as mere technological experimentation.
He announced the launch of the first versions of two flagship national applications. The first is a smart personal tutor designed to support secondary school students and teachers in the Arabic language and Egyptian history. The second is a legal and regulatory guidance assistant that helps citizens and small businesses better understand and navigate regulatory frameworks.
Another pillar focuses on expanding access to healthcare services through AI solutions developed by Egyptian engineers for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy, macular oedema, and breast cancer.
These applications are based on artificial intelligence systems developed using medical data collected from Egyptian patients rather than relying only on international datasets.
The newly appointed minister noted that Egypt is cooperating with the UNDP to make these solutions widely available and to transfer expertise to Arab and African countries through the AI-Share initiative.
Other Egyptian applications are “Torgoman,” a machine translation application, and “Bel Masry,” a system capable of understanding Egyptian colloquial Arabic and performing functions such as speech-to-text, translation, and text-to-speech. These tools aim to improve access to information and enhance the efficiency and transparency of government services.
Hindi said that Egypt’s National AI Strategy is the result of years of cooperation between the public and private sectors, contributing to the country’s advancement by 60 places in the global AI Readiness Index.
He added that Egypt’s leadership in shaping Arab and African AI strategies has positioned Cairo as a natural host for the region’s first AI-focused summit.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: