Egypt pushes for stronger AI ecosystems at Africa-France Summit
During a roundtable discussion on AI and digitalization on the sidelines of the Africa–France Summit in Nairobi, the minister highlighted the need for stronger innovative ecosystems and frameworks using AI to link Africa’s governments, universities, private sector, and entrepreneurs to achieve the continent’s development goals.
This discussion was held during the two-day summit, which concluded on 12 May, under the title “Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth,” and aimed to address challenges of economic growth, digital transformation, energy, and financial systems reforms.
The roundtable focused on developing digital and computing infrastructure while establishing ethical AI governance to protect digital rights, supporting training for the youth, research, and innovation ecosystems.
The minister highlighted that the challenge for development across the continent isn’t due to a shortage of talent, but due to “limited access to computing infrastructure and reliance on models developed outside the continent,” he said.
Furthermore, Hindy pressed for equal access to advanced digital infrastructure and partnerships across Africa to target development that caters to local priorities and national digitilization goals.
Egypt has been working to expedite investing in data sovereignty and building nationwide frameworks to integrate AI and digital technologies, and apply them in education, banking, healthcare, customs clearance, and public services.
It’s worth noting that Egypt’s ranking in the AI Readiness Index moved up by 14 places, reaching 51st on a global scale.
Egypt views key frameworks such as the African Union's Continental AI Strategy, which was adopted in 2024 as a way to coordinate the vision for AI use across the continent, according to the minister.
Egypt’s National AI Strategy for 2025–2030 focuses on AI development to advance capacity building, data sovereignty, and inclusive growth.
The country has been working on upgrading its industrial operations, financial services, and regulatory frameworks to become a regional hub for attracting global investment for software development.
This comes as AI infrastructure and automated systems have led to higher power demand, as they become major tools for efficiency and competitiveness.
It is estimated that global spending on AI infrastructure could exceed $500 billion by 2026, while renewable energy investment in the Middle East, to meet the demand for AI, rose 28 percent year on year to $12.9 billion in 2025.
Earlier this year, the Financial Regulatory Authority adopted a digital transformation strategy to expedite it in the non-banking financial sector to expand financial inclusion.
Under Egypt’s digital transformation strategy, a target was set to attract and generate around $42.7 billion in AI-related investments, with AI accounting for 7.7 percent of GDP by 2030.
This also aligns with Egypt’s measures to maintain economic stability and fiscal discipline, as per its programme with the International Monetary Fund, which will conclude in December 2026.