Egypt is placing innovation, digital transformation, and women's empowerment at the heart of its new economic growth model, Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat said on Saturday. She warned that rapid technological change requires urgent reforms to the labour market and education system. Speaking at the fourth the 4th Egyptian Women Summit, held under the theme STEM and Future Innovation Summit, Al-Mashat said investing in entrepreneurship and skills in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and artificial intelligence is no longer optional but essential for competitiveness. "Promoting innovation and digital transformation is a central pillar of our growth model," Al-Mashat said. "Youth are not just the future—they are active participants today, shaping Egypt's economy and society." She highlighted international reports projecting the loss of around 75 million jobs worldwide by 2025 due to automation and digitalisation, alongside the creation of 133 million new roles requiring different skills. "This calls for urgent structural reforms to align labour supply with demand and modernise education and training systems," she said. Al-Mashat outlined Egypt's efforts to link education with market needs, including allocating more than 30 billion Egyptian pounds for education in the 2025/2026 fiscal year, expanding applied technology schools in partnership with the private sector, and transforming 1,270 technical schools into applied technology institutions. Agreements have also been signed to establish and operate 89 new schools starting next year. The minister also announced the launch of the Career and Employment Horizons Platform with the Ministry of Labour and Germany's GIZ, covering over 400 professions and nearly 98 per cent of Egypt's workforce, aimed at helping youth navigate rapid labour market changes. Al-Mashat emphasised the government's ongoing efforts to support startups through a ministerial entrepreneurship group she chairs, which has prepared a Startups Charter containing more than 80 reforms and initiatives to be announced soon. She reaffirmed that empowering women in education, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship is not merely an equality issue but a crucial factor for sustainable growth and building a competitive, future-ready economy. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
