TLDR: Egypt is championing the establishment of strong artificial intelligence governance frameworks to ensure AI technologies contribute to inclusive and sustainable development, particularly across Africa. This call was highlighted by Minister Rania Al-Mashat at TICAD 9 and is a core tenet of Egypt’s National AI Strategy 2025-2030, aiming to leverage AI for economic transformation and regional leadership.
Egypt is taking a proactive stance on the global stage, advocating for robust governance frameworks to guide the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) for inclusive and sustainable growth. This commitment was recently underscored by Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Rania Al-Mashat, during a session organized by the United Nations University (UNU) at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) on August 21, 2025. Al-Mashat emphasized the critical need for ‘robust governance frameworks to ensure that artificial intelligence and digital technologies serve people fairly and sustainably.’ She further stated that ‘AI has become a key driver in tackling complex development challenges and reshaping growth models.’
This advocacy aligns with Egypt’s broader vision, as articulated in its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (Second Edition, 2025–2030). This comprehensive roadmap positions AI as a pivotal force for sustainable development, economic transformation, and regional leadership. The strategy, developed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), builds upon previous initiatives and reflects evolving global trends and local capacities. Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, has also been a vocal proponent, discussing Egypt’s human-centric governance and investment in talent and infrastructure for responsible AI.
The Egyptian strategy is structured around four main pillars: Governance and Ecosystem Enablement, Scientific Research and Talent Development, Economic Development and Industry Adoption, and International Cooperation and Soft Power. A central aim is to strengthen national coordination through an AI governance framework, encompassing policies for data access, standards, safety, and ethical use. The strategy also proposes a national AI observatory to monitor progress and impact.
Egypt’s commitment extends to regional leadership, having played a significant role in drafting the African Continental AI Strategy, launched in August 2024, which focuses on ethical and sustainable governance. The nation also represents North Africa on the African Union Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence. Africa, with over 60% of its population under 25 and a digital economy projected to add $180 billion to the continent’s GDP, has a unique opportunity to harness AI for development. Egypt’s mission, as stated in its AI strategy, is to ‘create an AI industry in Egypt, including the development of skills, technology, ecosystem, infrastructure and governance mechanisms to ensure its sustainability and competitiveness.’
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Presidential directives in Egypt call for clear strategies to harness AI and bolster research and development. The government has initiated pioneering steps in AI governance and capacity-building, alongside supporting startups to empower innovators and entrepreneurs in deploying emerging technologies across vital sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics. The strategy’s guiding principles emphasize human-centric and inclusive AI, data protection, environmental sustainability, and context-sensitive policy adaptation, all aligned with Egypt Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
