Artificial intelligence in Egypt has evolved from a future aspiration to a core infrastructure. AI now shapes how the country allocates capital, writes policy, builds capability, and manages questions of digital sovereignty. It has moved into serious conversations about competitiveness, state power, and long-term economic strategy, and this shift is reshaping both national planning and industry execution.

That recalibration helps explain why Cairo is being positioned as a center for AI collaboration, investment, and innovation across Africa and the Middle East. The timing coincides with the launch of Ai Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Egypt in early 2026, a platform designed to bring together governments, global technology leaders, investors, and startups in the same room, at a moment when Egypt’s AI ambitions are shifting from narrative to implementation.

Ai Everything MEA Egypt is organised by GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest tech and AI events network, and hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) in partnership with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).

DRIVING GROWTH THROUGH AI AND TALENT

Egypt already plays a significant role in global digital services, ranking among the world’s leading outsourcing destinations and producing over 750,000 university graduates annually, many of whom are in engineering and ICT fields. That talent pool is being redirected toward AI-enabled services, cloud operations, and applied research, indicating an evolution in how the country builds its technology capabilities.

According to the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index, Egypt ranks first in Africa for AI readiness, supported by mature policy frameworks, sustained investment in skills, and growing public-sector adoption. Fitch Solutions forecasts that the expansion of cloud, cybersecurity, and data services will propel Egypt’s ICT market to surpass $9 billion by 2030. These trends align with Egypt’s Second National AI Strategy (2025 to 2030), which treats AI as a matter of national capability and prioritizes access to compute power, development of local AI models, strong data governance, and deployment across priority sectors.

Combined with the United Nations Development Program’s estimates that AI could add $1.5 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2030, these indicators make clear that Egypt’s choices about technology infrastructure have real economic consequences. Decisions on compute, data, and skills are now strategic moves that will influence competitiveness and resilience for years to come.

SOVEREIGN CLOUD DRIVES EGYPT’S AI STRATEGY

Sovereignty is becoming a defining theme in Egypt’s AI agenda. As generative AI systems grow in complexity and resource needs, policymakers are paying greater attention to where data is stored, how models are trained, and who controls access. This concern is driving investment in sovereign cloud, regional data centers, and energy-efficient compute infrastructure.

Egypt’s location, energy capacity, and connectivity make it a practical hub for serving Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Europe. Global infrastructure and AI players are increasingly interested in local partnerships that build capacity and host technology within compliant, trusted environments. Those partnerships influence not only commercial outcomes but also the regulatory frameworks that govern the use of data and models.

EGYPT FOCUSES ON APPLIED AI

Egypt’s AI discussions emphasize applied intelligence over consumer-facing tools. Priority sectors include financial services, digital health, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and public administration. In these areas, automation, predictive analytics, and computer vision can yield measurable productivity gains and have an immediate operational impact. The focus is on demonstrating tangible economic value rather than pursuing experiments that do not scale.

Local startups play a central role in this shift, developing Arabic language models, computer vision systems, and enterprise automation platforms. Arabic remains underrepresented in global AI systems, creating both a market gap and a strategic opportunity. Investing in locally trained models enhances linguistic accuracy and ensures that AI applications are culturally relevant and compliant with regional regulations. These initiatives position Egypt to develop AI that is both locally grounded and competitive on the international stage.

Investor interest reflects the same pragmatic orientation. Regional and international venture capital is increasingly targeting companies that address infrastructure and system-level needs, rather than chasing short-lived consumer trends. The emphasis is on building capabilities that can scale across industries and geographies, reinforcing Egypt’s role as a base for serious AI deployment.

Large-scale industry gatherings have evolved accordingly. They serve as venues for deal-making, policy alignment, technology partnerships, and infrastructure negotiation. These events are now as important for shaping strategy as they are for showcasing new products.

DRIVING AI GROWTH IN EGYPT

Ai Everything MEA Egypt, taking place in Cairo from 11th to 12th February 2026, reflects the country’s expanded role in the AI sector. The Summit will bring together leaders from The World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Cerebras, HCL Tech, FIS, Tenstorrent, and other prominent organisations. The event brings together Fortune 500 companies, including AWS, Capgemini, Cisco, HPE, and Microsoft, alongside AI, cloud, and cybersecurity frontrunners such as Dataiku, e&, Fortinet, F5 Networks, Integra City, Logitech, Novomind, Odoo, Red Hat, SentinelOne, and Trend Micro. By convening policymakers, hyperscalers, investors, and innovators, the event aims to connect global expertise with national priorities and regional needs.

The momentum is visible across projects and pilot programs that are now scaling into broader deployments. Sustaining that momentum will require continued investment in talent, energy, and compute infrastructure, regulatory clarity, and public trust. As AI increasingly influences how nations compete, collaborate, and project influence, Cairo’s role as a host for major AI forums signals that Egypt is taking a more active part in regional conversations about technology and policy.