Updated national plan aims to make Egypt regional AI leader with 7.7% ICT sector GDP contribution by 2030
Egypt has unveiled an ambitious Second Edition of its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025-2030, setting aggressive targets to transform the nation into a regional AI powerhouse while building a digital society that improves quality of life for all citizens.
The comprehensive plan, building on the initial 2021 strategy, projects the ICT sector will contribute 7.7% to Egypt’s GDP by 2030, with AI tools benefiting 26% of the workforce and 36% of the general public gaining access to AI-powered products in their daily lives.
Strategic Vision: “Inclusive AI to Foster Digital Egypt”
The strategy’s core mission focuses on creating “an AI industry supported by governance, technology, data, infrastructure, ecosystem, and talents, to ensure its sustainability and competitiveness for purposes of promoting Egypt’s development.”
This comprehensive approach reflects Egypt’s recognition that AI competitiveness requires coordinated development across multiple sectors rather than isolated technological advancement.
Aggressive Talent and Industry Development Goals
Egypt has set specific quantitative targets to measure progress by 2030:
- 30,000 AI professionals developed through education and attraction initiatives
- 250+ successful AI companies established within Egypt’s borders
- 6,000 annual AI academic publications (doubling current output)
- 7.7% ICT sector GDP contribution demonstrating economic impact
These metrics represent significant scaling from current levels and position Egypt to compete with established regional technology hubs.
Six-Pillar Implementation Framework
The strategy operates through six foundational pillars designed to create comprehensive AI ecosystem development:
Governance: Establishing regulatory frameworks including AI law and a Center for Responsible AI to ensure ethical development and deployment.
Technology: Developing national foundational models and leveraging large language models across various industries to build indigenous AI capabilities.
Data: Creating comprehensive data strategies and open data platforms, recognizing data as “the fuel of AI algorithms.”
Infrastructure: Building scalable ICT and AI infrastructure including advanced data centers and cloud services to support nationwide deployment.
Ecosystem: Supporting AI industry growth through active investment environments and collaboration platforms connecting stakeholders.
Talents: Developing and attracting AI experts through educational initiatives and professional development programs.
Recognition of Global AI Evolution
The strategy explicitly acknowledges rapid AI advancement, particularly the emergence of large models and generative AI, positioning competitiveness in these areas as crucial for Egypt’s national ambitions. This recognition of technological trends demonstrates sophisticated understanding of global AI development trajectories.
The implementation roadmap emphasizes “strategic AI funding” as essential for supporting these technological advancements, indicating government commitment to substantial investment in AI development infrastructure.
Measurable Progress in Global Rankings
Egypt’s strategy builds on demonstrable progress in AI readiness, with the country ranking 52nd on Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index 2024 and achieving a significant 49-spot improvement on the Government AI Readiness Index between 2019 and 2023.
These improvements provide credible foundation for the ambitious 2030 targets and suggest existing momentum that the new strategy aims to accelerate.
Regional Leadership Ambitions
The plan positions Egypt to become both a regional AI leader and an influential global player, leveraging the country’s strategic geographic position and growing technology sector. Success would establish Egypt as a major technology hub connecting Africa, the Middle East, and global markets.
The strategy’s comprehensive approach—spanning governance, technology, infrastructure, and human capital development—reflects recognition that sustainable AI leadership requires coordinated development rather than narrow technological focus.
Economic and Social Development Integration
By targeting both workforce benefits (26% of workers using AI tools) and public access (36% of citizens accessing AI products), the strategy emphasizes practical implementation that delivers tangible benefits to Egyptian society rather than purely academic or commercial development.
This inclusive approach aligns with the strategy’s vision of fostering development for all Egyptians and demonstrates commitment to ensuring AI advancement translates into broad-based social and economic improvements.
The 2025-2030 strategy represents Egypt’s most comprehensive effort to systematically develop AI capabilities across all sectors of society, economy, and government, with specific metrics and timelines designed to ensure accountability and measurable progress toward regional AI leadership.
