Egypt’s entrepreneurial landscape has shown significant improvement, advancing five positions to rank 35th globally in the 2025/2026 National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI). The report, published by the Global Entrepreneurship Research Association (GEM), highlights a marked enhancement in the country’s business environment, moving up from 40th place in the previous year’s assessment.
This progress reflects a positive trajectory for Egypt’s startup ecosystem, underpinned by stabilizing economic indicators and targeted government initiatives.
Economic Recovery and Market Access
The GEM report attributes the improved ranking to several key economic factors. It notes that Egypt is gradually emerging from a period of economic challenges, with macroeconomic indicators returning to more stable levels. This recovery is coupled with tangible improvements in trade, investment, and overall economic growth.
Crucially for startups, the analysis points to enhanced access to international markets for Egyptian entrepreneurs, opening up new avenues for scaling and global expansion.
Foundational Pillars of Growth
The report underscores a strengthening of the foundational conditions necessary for a thriving startup scene. Egypt’s overall NECI score rose, with three of the core framework conditions reaching a level of “sufficiency.”
This development is supported by notable progress in key areas such as access to finance, infrastructure development, and growing cultural support for entrepreneurship. These elements are creating a more robust and supportive environment for new ventures to launch and grow.
The AI Advantage
A key forward-looking indicator highlighted in the report is the strong and rising awareness of artificial intelligence technologies within the country. This widespread consciousness of AI is seen as a promising foundation for future innovation, providing a fertile ground for tech-driven startups to develop cutting-edge solutions and maintain a competitive edge.
The progress is seen as a direct result of continuous state efforts to improve the business climate, develop supportive legislation for startups, enhance access to funding, and champion innovation through various national programs focused on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
About The Global Entrepreneurship Research Association (GEM)
The Global Entrepreneurship Research Association (GEM) is a consortium of national country teams, primarily associated with top academic institutions, that carries out survey-based research on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship ecosystems around the world. It is the largest single study of entrepreneurial dynamics in the world.
Source: Eleqtisade News
