Egypt’s planning and investment ministers met with 150 university students to discuss employment trends, entrepreneurship opportunities and the skills needed to launch businesses in a changing economy.
The open session brought together Ahmed Rostom, minister of planning and economic development, and Mohamed Farid Saleh, minister of investment and foreign trade. Discussions covered priority sectors, startup ideas requiring limited capital and the impact of rapid technological change on the labor market.
Rostom said artificial intelligence, programming and information technology could offer accessible paths for students building early-stage ventures. He advised identifying a clear problem in a sector with available data, developing a simple technology-based solution and turning it into a marketable tool.
The minister also highlighted cloud computing, data centers, electronic storage and cybersecurity as promising areas for investment in Egypt. He said the country’s first data center involving private-sector participation and Egyptian-European investment had been announced about a month earlier.
According to the announcement, access to sustainable energy remains the main challenge to expanding data centers. Rostom said the government is working to raise the share of new and renewable energy to between 42% and 45% by 2030 through solar and wind projects.
The ministers also urged students to keep learning, build experience and remain persistent as they plan their careers.
Source: Rosa El Youssef
