Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty participated in a side event organized by the Ministry of Planning, titled "From Resilience to Recovery: Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Economic Transformation." The event, held on the sidelines of the "El Alamein - Africa" forum, brought together several ministers, including those responsible for investment, planning, and industry. Discussions focused on supporting economic development in Africa and enhancing the role of entrepreneurship and the private sector in driving growth and recovery.
During the event, Minister Abdelatty emphasized that Africa possesses immense economic, human, and natural resources, positioning it for higher growth and development rates. He stressed the need to transition from setting priorities and formulating frameworks to actual implementation of projects, mobilizing necessary resources and investments to turn development plans into tangible results that directly benefit the continent's populations. Abdelatty also highlighted the importance of leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.
The Minister pointed out that promoting African economic integration is a key pathway to achieving sustainable development. This can be achieved by connecting markets, developing regional value chains, and increasing intra-African trade and investment. Abdelatty underscored the private sector's and entrepreneurship's crucial role in supporting development efforts, serving as a primary driver of investment, innovation, and job creation.
Abdelatty emphasized the importance of forging more effective partnerships between governments, financing institutions, and the private sector. He also highlighted the need to create a conducive environment that enables African entrepreneurs and companies to expand, grow, and capitalize on opportunities across the continent's markets. The Minister noted the intrinsic link between peace, security, and development, as well as the pivotal role of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development in supporting stability and development efforts.
On the same day, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Dr. Raft Hendi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, attended the closing ceremony of the third edition of the African Presidential Competition for Youth in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AYAIR 2026). The event, held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, took place on the sidelines of the "El Alamein - Africa" forum and the African Union Mid-Year Summit.
Minister Abdelatty stressed that the competition reflects Egypt's commitment to empowering African youth and building their capacities in artificial intelligence, robotics, and modern technologies. He emphasized the importance of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, providing platforms for youth to transform their ideas into practical solutions that address developmental challenges and enhance digital transformation and economic integration across the continent.
During the ceremony, the ministers, along with the Executive President of the African Union Development Agency, honored the winners of the top three projects that presented innovative solutions based on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies to address priority developmental challenges in Africa. The winners included Saji El-Assal from Egypt, who won first place in the "Presidential Award" category for his development of an intelligent assistant device that uses artificial intelligence to support wheelchair users.
Key points
- Egypt's Foreign Minister emphasizes the private sector's pivotal role in driving Africa's economic growth and development.
- The African Continental Free Trade Area agreement is crucial for promoting African economic integration and achieving sustainable development.
- Egypt is committed to empowering African youth and building their capacities in artificial intelligence, robotics, and modern technologies.
