Egypt Gears Up to Host Major Global Entrepreneurship Festival with Over 10,000 Attendees

Dr. Ahmed Rustom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, chaired an extensive meeting to discuss the arrangements and preparations for the third edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Egypt.

This meeting was attended by Ambassador Nabila Makram, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the National Alliance for Civil Work and Development and Secretary-General of the Festival; Basel Rahmy, Head of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA); and Dr. Soumi Smart Francis, President of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival.

Also present were Baher Mounir Ghabour, Head of Partnerships for the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Egypt, and Dr. Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, along with a number of leaders from the Ministry and the Agency.

The meeting discussed the logistical and organizational preparations for the festival, reflecting the state's commitment to supporting this vital sector, enhancing the contribution of startups to the national economy, and expanding cooperation among entrepreneurs across the African continent.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Ahmed Rustom welcomed the attendees and officials from the Global Festival and MSMEDA, commending the significant efforts made for Egypt to win the bid to host the upcoming edition.

The Minister of Planning and Economic Development added that hosting this event reflects the country's standing as one of the most prominent regional markets attractive to startups and venture capital investments.

For her part, Ambassador Nabila Makram, Secretary-General of the Festival, thanked the Minister of Planning and Economic Development for his continuous support and for opening communication channels with various partners. She emphasized the festival management's keenness to deliver an event that meets the aspirations of startups and clearly showcases Egypt's leadership in this sector at both regional and international levels.

In the same context, Dr. Soumi Smart Francis, President of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, expressed his appreciation for Egypt's hosting of the event, noting that the momentum surrounding the announcement of the hosting demonstrates the strategic importance of the Egyptian market and reflects the growing interest of countries in investing in innovation.

Dr. Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, had previously participated on behalf of the Minister of Planning and Economic Development in the official announcement conference for Egypt's hosting of the festival in 2026.

In this regard, Dr. Ahmed Rustom affirmed that the festival has become an international platform bringing together governments and investors to build more competitive and sustainable economies. He stressed that the success of nations is no longer measured solely by traditional indicators, but by their ability to produce knowledge and transform innovation into added value, which the Egyptian state, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is keen to achieve.

The third edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival is scheduled to take place in Cairo from November 6 to 8.

The festival is considered one of the largest international gatherings specialized in entrepreneurship. The third edition aims to attract over 10,000 participants representing more than 70 countries, along with the participation of over 100 exhibitors and 60 international speakers from government, economic, and investment leaders, thereby enhancing Cairo's position as a key gateway for cross-border partnerships and investments.