Egypt's 'Youth Economy' Project: Transforming Youth Centers into Startup Hubs

The government is looking to expand the role of youth centers, transforming them into platforms that support entrepreneurship and the digital economy. This is part of the "Youth Economy" project, which is currently being prepared for launch. The goal is to boost youth participation in economic activities and maximize the use of assets and facilities belonging to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This effort will support local development and create sustainable job opportunities.

This initiative was discussed during a meeting between Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and Gawhar Nabil, Minister of Youth and Sports. They met to explore the project's implementation mechanisms, following President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to increase youth involvement in the economy and as part of the government's work program derived from Egypt Vision 2030.

Dr. Ahmed Rostom emphasized that the project aims to transform the energy of young people into a productive force that contributes to economic development. He noted that the Ministry of Planning will provide the necessary technical support and data to ensure the initiative's success, in line with its oversight of the socio-economic development plan and the presidential initiative "Decent Life."

He further explained that the Ministry possesses updated databases on the governorates, which will help identify the comparative advantages and promising economic sectors in each governorate, in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). This will guide investments and training programs according to the needs of each region.

He added that the project will benefit from the investment and consulting expertise of "NI Capital" and "NI Consultations" in portfolio and fund management, as well as providing technical support. Additionally, the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will play a key role in developing youth skills, fostering a culture of self-employment, and supporting startups at various stages of their growth.

For his part, Gawhar Nabil, Minister of Youth and Sports, affirmed that the "Youth Economy" project represents a national model designed to connect young people with real investment opportunities. This will be achieved through integrated roles among ministries and by leveraging the competitive advantages of the governorates.

He pointed out that the Ministry aims to maximize the utilization of its assets, primarily youth centers, sports development centers, and youth and sports cities. These will be transformed into economic, investment, and community platforms that offer services to support entrepreneurs and startups. This will contribute to improving asset utilization efficiency and reducing financial burdens on the general budget.

The meeting also reviewed the project's executive features, which include preparing a national map of competitive advantages in the governorates, identifying priority sectors, monitoring labor market needs, and providing professional qualification and entrepreneurship programs. All these steps are designed to support job creation and stimulate local investment.

The two sides also discussed the implementation phases of the initiative, which will begin with institutional preparation, followed by a pilot phase in several governorates, before gradually expanding nationwide. A national database and a digital monitoring dashboard will also be established to support decision-making and measure performance indicators.

The meeting highlighted the expected economic and developmental returns of the project, which include strengthening the local economy, achieving greater equity in investment distribution among governorates, reducing internal migration, and supporting social stability.

The "Youth Economy" initiative is set to leverage the capabilities of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, including youth centers, sports facilities, youth cities, and civil education centers. These will serve as platforms to support entrepreneurship, the digital and green economies, incubate micro-enterprises, and connect young people with funding bodies and investors. This will pave the way for its implementation in several governorates before being rolled out across the entire Republic.