CAIRO – 13 February 2026: Egypt has concluded the first regional edition of the AI Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Summit, marking a significant step in its efforts to position itself as a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI), innovation, and digital investment.
Held on February 11–12 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the summit brought together decision-makers, global technology leaders, more than 100 investors, and entrepreneurs from over 30 countries.
Organized by the GITEX Global network in strategic partnership with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the exhibition featured more than 350 AI-focused companies and startups, making it one of the largest technology gatherings in the Middle East and Africa.
National AI Strategy in Action
In remarks delivered on his behalf during the opening session, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindy said the summit underscored Egypt’s commitment to leading AI-driven transformation across the region. His speech was presented by ITIDA CEO Ahmed El Zaher.
Hindy emphasized that Egypt views AI not merely as a technological advancement, but as a national capability designed to generate tangible societal impact and accelerate development across priority sectors.
He outlined a six-pillar national AI framework focused on intelligence, societal relevance, governance, accessibility, capabilities, and skills development.
A key announcement during the summit was the launch of “Karnak,” a national large language model integrated into Egypt’s public digital infrastructure. Ranked among the top-performing Arabic-language models in its parameter class (30–40 billion and 70–80 billion parameters), Karnak is expected to serve as a foundation for startups and private companies developing AI applications tailored to local and regional needs.
Two AI-powered national applications were also unveiled: “Sia,” a personal AI tutor supporting secondary school students and teachers in Arabic language and Egyptian history, and an intelligent legal and regulatory assistant aimed at helping citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises better understand regulatory frameworks.
Expanding AI Across Sectors
Under the governance pillar, AI tools have been integrated into the Digital Egypt platform, including AcQua, which uses natural language processing to review customer service calls and detect inaccuracies or unprofessional practices, and REACT, a language-model-based assistant supporting call center operations.
In healthcare, Egypt introduced locally developed AI engines for early detection of diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and breast cancer. Developed by Egyptian engineers and trained on local data, the models aim to expand early diagnostic capabilities and improve healthcare accessibility.
Egypt is also collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to share these solutions with Arab and African countries through the AI-Share initiative.
Additional digital tools launched during the summit included “Tarjuman,” a machine translation application, and “Bel Masry,” a system capable of understanding Egyptian colloquial Arabic and performing speech-to-text, translation, and text-to-speech functions. A new language-learning app, “Lughat,” was also introduced to enhance English proficiency and strengthen workforce competitiveness, particularly in the outsourcing sector.
Strengthening Regional Leadership
Officials noted that since the launch of Egypt’s National AI Strategy in 2019, the country has advanced 60 positions in the global AI Readiness Index. The second phase of the strategy (2025–2030) aims to embed AI across key sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, justice, and public services within a responsible governance framework.
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of the organizing entity behind GITEX, described AI as the fastest industrial transformation of the modern era, adding that Egypt’s hosting of the summit signals a new chapter for both the country and the wider region.
The event featured the AI MEA Supernova startup competition, advanced training programs through the AI Academy in collaboration with AWS, and an AI hackathon sponsored by Capgemini, highlighting real-world economic applications in sectors such as tourism.
Senior government officials, ambassadors, and technology leaders attended the opening ceremony, including Mauritania’s Minister of Digital Transformation and Administrative Modernization, Ahmed Salem Ould Bede.
With the conclusion of the summit, Egypt reaffirmed its commitment to implementing its National AI Strategy 2025–2030 and strengthening its position as a regional platform for advanced technologies, innovation, and foreign investment, as it advances toward a knowledge-based digital economy.
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