Egypt is preparing a competition that will let startups and entrepreneurs pilot AI-powered solutions inside government ministries, Communications and Information Technology Minister Raafat Hindi said at the sixth Tech Invest Egypt conference in Cairo on September 7.
Selected solutions would initially be tested within a ministry, with successful technologies potentially expanded across other government entities. The government has not yet announced the competition’s launch date, funding structure, eligible technology categories or selection criteria. Hindi said further details would be released soon.
The initiative comes as Egypt’s ICT sector recorded 24.3% growth in the fourth quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, which the government described as its highest rate on record. Outsourcing exports reached $5.1 billion by the end of 2025, while Egypt is targeting $8 billion by 2028.
The ministry is also developing infrastructure to help companies integrate securely with government systems and provide researchers with access to advanced computing resources. More than 20 governorates now have Egypt Digital Innovation Hubs, offering skills development, incubation, technical and legal advice, marketing support and investor connections.
Hindi also highlighted Egyptian AI projects, including the experimental large language model Karnak and the Loghat and Belmasry applications. The broader strategy aims to move AI from experimentation toward practical deployment across the public and private sectors.
Source: MEA Tech Watch
