Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendy said that entrepreneurship is one of the key drivers of economic growth, job creation and enhanced competitiveness, stressing that the information and communications technology (ICT) sector serves as an enabling platform for various economic sectors.
Hendy added that supporting technology-based entrepreneurship does not only contribute to the growth of the ICT sector, but also strengthens the ability of other sectors to enhance efficiency, develop new business models, improve service quality and access wider markets.
He noted that this year’s summit represents a continuation of a process that began with the launch of the first report in 2023 and evolved through subsequent editions, culminating in the 2025 report, which moved from monitoring the existing landscape to proposing reform and investment pathways and a roadmap extending through 2030.
These reports have contributed to identifying a number of key challenges, foremost among them the multiplicity of procedures, difficulties in accessing financing and markets, and the need for a regulatory environment capable of accommodating emerging business models.
Hendy stressed that the importance of this year’s summit lies in building on this accumulated experience, assessing the progress achieved, identifying remaining gaps and moving from diagnosis to clearly defined priorities that can be implemented and monitored.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is contributing to the implementation of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade’s vision for streamlining the investor journey, from establishing a company and obtaining approvals and licenses to accessing services related to operations and expansion.
These efforts include providing an integrated digital ecosystem for government services targeting the business community, Hendy said, noting that the ministry’s work extends beyond digitizing existing procedures to re-engineering and integrating them, thereby creating a simpler, more seamless and transparent experience for the business community.
He explained that these efforts complement the ministry’s initiatives to develop skills and foster innovation through Egypt Digital Innovation Hubs across the governorates, connect startups with investors and markets, and enable them to utilize artificial intelligence technologies, data and computing capabilities to transform ideas into scalable and competitive solutions and applications.