- Region’s fast-scaling AI economies enter global spotlight at Ai Everything Middle East & Africa (MEA) Egypt, 11-12 Feb 2026
- Egypt ranks first in Africa for Government AI Readiness and third in Arab region for AI Resilience
Dubai, UAE – 26 January 2026: Egypt is once again at the center of Africa’s AI momentum as international technology experts, influential policymakers and startups prepare to convene at Ai Everything MEA Egypt 2026, the world’s first all-AI expo and summit of the year. Announced just four months ago, the event has already mobilised the global AI ecosystem at unprecedented speed, creating one of the foremost AI showcases in Egypt ahead of its 11-12 February 2026 debut.
Taking place at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC), Ai Everything MEA Egypt is presented by GITEX, the world’s largest tech and AI events network, and hosted by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) in partnership with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).
Ai Everything MEA Egypt arrives at a defining moment for the continent, with artificial intelligence projected to contribute over US$1.5 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 20301 (SAP Report); prompting accelerated government investments in cloud, digital services and industrial intelligence. As the gateway linking Africa, Levant and the GCC, and the nation pioneering Arabic-first AI models, Egypt stands at the forefront of this transition – ranking first in Africa for Government AI Readiness and third in the Arab region for AI Resilience2 (Oxford Insights Index).
By convening global leaders in AI policy, investment and deployment, Ai Everything MEA Egypt 2026 advances Egypt’s AI roadmap at scale – attracting international funding, strengthening talent, and translating AI strategy into tangible economic value across sectors. Aligned with the Second National AI Strategy, the event accelerates sovereign AI capabilities and reinforces Egypt’s position among the world’s fast-emerging digital economies.
World-Leading AI Enterprises Drive Egypt’s Infrastructure and Industry Momentum
More than 350 AI enterprises and startups from 30-plus countries will showcase production-scale AI deployments across sectors including cloud, cybersecurity, data centres, public services, telecoms, healthcare, mobility, fintech and digital payments. The world’s most influential AI and technology leaders including Microsoft, Cisco, HPE, Red Hat, AWS, Capgemini, Dataiku, e&, and Fortinet, are joined by leading MEA enterprises such as Alkan, Cyshield, and Link DataCenter. Together with AI-first companies from the UAE and Saudi Arabia choosing Cairo as the stage to debut and showcase AI solutions tailored for the region – including WideBot AI (MENA’s leading Arabic-first AI-as-a-Service platform), as well as EZELINK, Odoo, Ziwo, Zakaa, and Barq Systems.
Mohamed El Kassem, General Manager, Microsoft Egypt, commented on the region’s AI transition, “Generative AI is reshaping what’s possible for nations that are ready to embrace it, and Egypt is stepping confidently into that future. At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering Egypt’s government, businesses, and young innovators with secure, responsible AI technologies that accelerate growth and unlock new opportunities. Together, we’re building an AI‑driven economy that reflects Egypt’s ambition, talent, and global potential.”
UAE-based global technology and telecommunications group – e& continues its long-standing engagement with the GITEX network through a powerful enterprise AI showcase in Cairo. Hazem Metwally, CEO, e& Egypt, shared: “AI has the potential of reshaping how businesses operate and accelerate productivity. Ai Everything MEA Egypt comes at a pivotal moment, and e& Egypt is proud to be part of its inaugural edition, bringing integrated AI, cloud and communication services that accelerate long-term, technology-led growth for Egypt.”
Egypt Leads as Africa’s Most Funded Startup Ecosystem
With Egyptian startups raising over $339 million in first half of 2025 – representing a staggering 31% of Africa’s total startup funding – the country has emerged as a hotspot for AI entrepreneurship. Participating startups include UK’s Emotii, recognised among Europe’s top 10 AI startups; Germany’s Imensus, developers of fully autonomous seismic tech backed by Europe’s leading space programmes; and Egypt’s Olimi AI, whose multilingual AI agents understand Arabic dialects – Egyptian, Saudi, Emirati – offering localised solutions beyond generic AI.
Shaden El Olimi, CCO, Olimi AI, shared: “At Olimi AI, we’ve learned that thriving means iterating rapidly, adapting to new capabilities, and staying focused on solving real customer problems. Ai Everything MEA Egypt brings together the pioneers navigating this frontier, and we’re excited to showcase how this philosophy has shaped our approach to Arabic voice AI.”
AI innovations from more than 30 countries will be showcased, spanning Germany, the UK, Italy, Netherlands, Cyprus, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Pakistan, and China. Global participation is further strengthened by the involvement of leading global councils including UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UAE Cybersecurity Council, ESC India (Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council), and GITP Southeast Asia, reinforcing the event’s status as a convening platform for cross-border collaboration.
AI in Action – Autonomous Mobility to Data Centers to Healthcare
From self-driving vehicles to digital payments, Ai Everything MEA Egypt brings frontier AI use-cases delivering measurable business impact across sectors. Global AI solutions leader, Brightskies showcases Egypt’s first and most advanced autonomous driving platform, built and tested locally.
THAKAA presents the region’s first Arabic-language AI platform for senior leaders, already deployed at the world’s largest children’s cancer hospital to support more streamlined, stronger healthcare operations. Powering the industrial growth, NtegralOne Solutions introduces high-performance AI stations, helping companies, startups and researchers run advanced AI projects locally, without relying on overseas data centers.
Sovereign AI Summit: Inside The Architectures of Intelligent Economies
The Summit delivers high-level, thought-provoking conversations on how AI can drive GDP growth, sovereignty, skills, and industry transformation, all through the lens of real-world deployment. Among the AI leaders on stage, Dr. Michel Rogy, Digital Development Practice Head for Africa & Middle East at The World Bank, and a global advocate on closing the digital divide, shares insights on how emerging AI economies can move past legacy systems, while Zsuzsanna Hargitai, MD of SME Finance & Development, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), challenges how access to capital and computing power reshapes national competitiveness.
Fresh off a headline-making US$10 billion compute agreement with OpenAI, Cerebras takes the stage with Marc Zakher, Vice President & GM – Middle East, Türkiye & Africa, joined by Amr Elashmawi, Global Head & VP of Strategic Markets and Partnerships at Tenstorrent. Together, they confront the hard realities behind sovereign AI ambition – from computing capacity to building architectures that scale national and enterprise AI at speed. Golestan Radwan, Chief Digital Officer at UN Environment Programme, and Dr. Heather Domin, VP and Head of the Office of Responsible AI & Governance at HCLTech, address the debate on whether AI can genuinely serve the public good and what will it take to ensure it delivers measurable social impact.
