Home»TRAVEL EVENT NEWS» Egypt to Host Groundbreaking AI Summit in 2026: Boosting Innovation and Positioning the Region as an AI Hub
Published on
August 23, 2025
In 2026, Egypt welcomes the first annual “AI Everything Middle East and Africa” summit and exhibition, a landmark moment for the region’s technology landscape. Running from February 10 to 12, the event is expected to be one of the foremost launches for groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) advancements across the Middle East and Africa. Under the umbrella of GITEX GLOBAL and in close cooperation with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), the summit will convene senior decision makers, leading global firms, emerging AI startups, technical authorities, and venture capital from more than 60 nations, forging a vibrant arena for cross-border cooperation and insights.
The convening is strategically designed to accelerate long-term digital transformation and deepen AI integration across six critical industries, allowing attendees to analyse working AI solutions in authentic usage cases. Serving as the region’s principal knowledge and contracting arena for artificial intelligence, the gathering will stimulate cross-continental alliances, facilitate the circulation of technical know-how, and spotlight high-value investment dossiers in a sector advancing at historic speed.
Highlighting the Role of AI in Egypt’s Vision
Egypt’s hosting of this prestigious summit reflects the country’s growing prominence on the global tech map and underscores its confidence in its technological and human capabilities. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat emphasized that this event is a reflection of Egypt’s commitment to leveraging AI technologies for both economic and social development. He noted that AI has become a key cornerstone in Egypt’s digital strategy, playing a pivotal role in driving economic growth and achieving sustainable development.
AI’s transformative power is recognized as essential in reshaping global competitiveness. Talaat explained that AI opens new opportunities for nations striving for progress and leadership in the digital era. By hosting this event, Egypt is positioning itself as a key player in the AI space, demonstrating its commitment to advancing this technology to benefit its society and the wider Middle East and Africa region.
Egypt’s National AI Strategy and Its Role in Regional Development
Ahmed Elzaher, CEO of ITIDA, highlighted the strategic importance of the “AI Everything” summit, positioning Egypt as a leading regional hub for AI, innovation, and development. The summit will play a crucial role in placing Egypt at the center of global technology discussions, making the country a key partner in shaping the future of AI.
The event is expected to attract significant investment, foster impactful partnerships, and facilitate technology transfer, empowering startups to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions. ITIDA has been actively involved in enabling Egyptian companies to develop AI solutions and applications, and the summit will extend its focus beyond the ICT sector to encompass a broader range of industries where AI is a key driver of growth.
A Comprehensive Agenda for the AI Everything Summit
The summit’s agenda encompasses a range of dynamic sessions and events, highlighted by a high-level ministerial gathering dedicated to shaping global AI policy. An international exhibition will run alongside, putting cutting-edge AI technologies and their applications centre stage. Focused panel discussions will examine priority themes, including large language models, next-generation machine learning paradigms, cloud infrastructure, and the rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT).
To accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship, delegates will encounter expansive networking lounges reserved for high-profile global investors. Over 200 venture capital leaders drawn from the GITEX GLOBAL ecosystem are scheduled to attend, presenting a unique platform for startups to pitch original AI technologies and attract the strategic capital that scales tomorrow’s solutions.
In parallel, the summit will host a cross-disciplinary hackathon aimed at uplifting youth talent and steering its energy toward proof-of-concept initiatives. Participants will benefit from dedicated technical mentorship in cutting-edge AI applications and adjacent disciplines, equipping them with the framework and expertise necessary to transform visionary concepts into demonstrable prototypes before the week’s conclusion.
AI Development in the Middle East and Africa: Egypt’s Leadership
Egypt’s choice to host the “AI Everything Middle East and Africa” summit fits neatly into its larger goal of speeding up the use of artificial intelligence across the region. The nation has already made large strides by rolling out the National AI Strategy and by setting up the National AI Council, both of which underscore the depth of its commitment. Complementary to those pillars, the Applied Innovation Center and focused investments in education and workforce skills stretch the momentum, clearly signalling Egypt’s intention to lead in AI.
However, the vision extends beyond its borders. By networking early and regularly with neighbouring economies, Egypt hopes to ensure that AI growth in the region is equitable and collaborative. The summit, therefore, goes beyond being an event calendar entry; it is a working forum where national officials, industry leaders and technologists can, in real time, chart collective pathways and tackle the common barriers that stand in the way of an AI-powered Middle East and Africa.
Aligning with Egypt’s Vision 2030
The summit aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country’s economy by focusing on high-tech industries and sustainable development. AI is recognized as a key enabler of economic diversification, and the summit will contribute to accelerating the implementation of the National AI Strategy. By bringing together stakeholders from around the world, the event will help to advance Egypt’s goals of building an inclusive and competitive digital economy.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in the Middle East and Africa
As the summit draws closer, the anticipation for this landmark event continues to grow. The “AI Everything Middle East and Africa” summit will not only put Egypt at the forefront of global AI discussions but also help to position the region as a leader in AI development. This event represents a significant milestone in the Middle East and Africa’s journey toward becoming a hub for AI innovation and digital transformation.
The growth of AI technology will continue to impact every sector of society, from healthcare to manufacturing, finance to agriculture. Egypt’s commitment to being a part of this transformation is clear, and the summit will serve as an essential stepping stone towards building a more digitally advanced future for the country and the wider region.
Conclusion: Egypt’s Commitment to the Future of AI
The 2026 “AI Everything Middle East and Africa” summit in Cairo is poised to be the turning point in Egypt’s quest to emerge as a world-class centre for AI and tech development. Egypt’s blueprint for innovation, ecological balance, and strategic cooperation is already defining the trajectory of artificial intelligence and digital evolution. While the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and fellow neighbours accelerate their AI projects, Egypt is increasingly the destination of choice for investors and visionaries eager to advance regional AI breakthroughs.
Remember when Netflix was eight dollars a month? Now it’s nearly tripled in price, carved into ad-riddled tiers, while free-to-air TV has been gutted into unwatchable dreck. The streaming giants hooked us with cheap content, killed the free alternatives, then cranked up prices once we were trapped.
Well, I reckon we’ll soon be watching the exact same playbook unfold with AI. Except this time, the stakes will be infinitely higher.
Right now, AI feels like Christmas morning every day. ChatGPT helps app designers fill wireframes with microcopy. Midjourney conjures up mood boards from thin air. Claude can debug web developers’ wonky code faster than you can say “syntax error”. It’s intoxicating, productivity-enhancing, mostly free stuff. (See here how AI is impacting graphic design.)
But let’s be realistic: this golden age is as sustainable as a chocolate teapot.
None of this is sustainable
OpenAI didn’t raise $6.6 billion to run a charity for struggling copywriters. Google isn’t pouring billions into Bard out of algorithmic kindness. These companies are playing venture capitalist roulette, with money that makes Netflix’s early losses look like pocket change.
Training these AI models costs more than some countries’ GDP. Running them requires server farms that could power small cities. Every ChatGPT query burns through electricity like a teenager with their first credit card. This isn’t sustainable; it’s an investment in market domination.
And once they’ve got us hooked? Once every creative depends on AI to stay competitive? That’s when the meter starts running.
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
It’s a playbook we’re all familiar with, from price hikes in services such as the Adobe Creative Cloud or Microsoft‘s Office Suite. Which is exactly why the recent Black Mirror episode Common People, in which a woman with a brain tumour needs a monthly subscription to stay alive, hit home so viscerally.
I can already see the future: AI Basic: $29.99/month, 50 queries daily, watermarked outputs. AI Pro: $69.99/month, unlimited queries, premium models. AI Enterprise: $299.99/month, custom training, API access. Just like Adobe‘s Creative Cloud killed off one-time software purchases, AI subscriptions will become the new normal.
Adobe has hiked prices considerably for the Creative Cloud in recent years (Image credit: Adobe)
Yet unlike Netflix or even Photoshop, AI won’t just be nice to have; it’ll be essential for economic survival. The creative who can’t leverage AI will be like the graphic designer who never learned computers in the 1990s: rapidly obsolete.
Remember, 25 years ago internet access was a luxury. Now the UN considers it a human right. Your broadband bill now sits alongside electricity and gas as non-negotiable. AI is heading down the same path.
For creatives, it’s a cruel paradox. We’re already operating on razor-thin margins, losing work to AI itself. Now imagine adding another $60 monthly AI subscription. Not as a luxury, but as a basic requirement for staying competitive.
Pity the little guy
The big agencies will absorb these costs easily, of course; building them into overheads, just like Adobe subscriptions. But the solo freelancer, the small studio, the emerging creative trying to break in? They’ll be priced out before they’ve started.
We’re sleepwalking into a future where AI access becomes the new digital divide. Creatives who can afford premium AI tools will soar ahead, while those who can’t will scramble for free-tier breadcrumbs (assuming there still is a free tier).
So enjoy this honeymoon while it lasts. Use these tools, learn them inside out, and build your skills while the getting’s good (unlike these 5 failed AI ads). Because sooner or later, the bill will arrive. And you’d better hope you can afford it.
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Infinities Technology International (Cayman) Holding Limited ( (HK:1961) ) has provided an announcement.
Infinities Technology International reported a significant decline in revenue and gross profit for the first half of 2025, with an 85.8% drop in revenue compared to the same period in 2024. This decline is attributed to reduced revenue from its mobile games and digital media businesses, as well as the early-stage development of its AI application services, which have yet to generate substantial profits. Despite these challenges, the company remains focused on its strategic goal of expanding its digital entertainment platform globally, leveraging AI as a core component. The industry outlook is optimistic, with the Chinese government’s recent AI initiative expected to drive significant development and investment opportunities in the sector.
The most recent analyst rating on (HK:1961) stock is a Hold with a HK$0.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Infinities Technology International (Cayman) Holding Limited stock, see the HK:1961 Stock Forecast page.
More about Infinities Technology International (Cayman) Holding Limited
Infinities Technology International (Cayman) Holding Limited operates in the digital entertainment industry, focusing on mobile games, digital media, and gaming product supply. The company is committed to building a diversified digital entertainment service platform with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence technologies.
Brands caught using AI have continued to face backlash from consumers. Last month, Guess sparked outcry online when it featured an AI-generated model in an advertisement that appeared in Vogue.
So even outside of any obvious mistakes made by AI tools, some artists say their clients simply want a human touch to distinguish themselves from the growing pool of AI-generated content online.
To Todd Van Linda, an illustrator and comic artist in Florida, AI art is easily discernible, if not by certain telltale inconsistencies in the details, then by the plasticine effect that defines AI-generated images across a range of styles.
“I can look at a piece and not only tell that it’s AI, I can tell you what descriptor they used to generate it,” Van Linda said. “When it comes to, especially, independent authors, they don’t want anything to do with that because it’s so formulaic, it’s obvious. It’s like they stopped off at Walmart to get a bargain cover for their book.”
Authors come to him, he said, because they know that AI-generated art fails to capture the hyperspecific “vibe” of their individual story. Often, his clients can only give him a rough idea of what they want. It’s then Van Linda’s job to decipher their preferences and create something that draws out the exact feeling each client seeks to evoke from their art.
Van Linda said he also gets approached by people who want him to “fix” their AI-generated art, but he avoids those jobs now because he has realized those clients are typically less willing to pay him what he believes his labor is worth.
“There would be more work involved in fixing those images than there would be in starting from a clean sheet of paper and doing it right, because what they have is a mismatched collection of generalities that really don’t follow what they’re trying to do,” he said. “But they’re trying to wedge the square peg into the round hole because they don’t want to spend any more money.”
The low pay from clients who have already cheaped out on AI tools has affected gig workers across industries, including more technical ones like coding. For India-based web and app developer Harsh Kumar, many of his clients say they had already invested much of their budget in “vibe coding” tools that couldn’t deliver the results they wanted.
But others, he said, are realizing that shelling out for a human developer is worth the headaches saved from trying to get an AI assistant to fix its own “crappy code.” Kumar said his clients often bring him vibe-coded websites or apps that resulted in unstable or wholly unusable systems.
His projects have included fixing an AI-powered support chatbot that gave customers inaccurate answers — and sometimes leaked sensitive system details due to poor safety measures — and rebuilding an AI content recommendation system that frequently crashed, gave irrelevant recommendations and exposed sensitive data.
“AI may increase productivity, but it can’t fully replace humans,” Kumar said. “I’m still confident that humans will be required for long-term projects. At the end of the day, humans were the ones who developed AI.”
