Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom emphasized that entrepreneurship is a government priority to transform innovative ideas into real job opportunities, during a meeting with officials in the country's start-up ecosystem. Rostom met with Amr El Abd, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Entrepreneurship, to discuss mechanisms for developing the national entrepreneurship ecosystem. The meeting focused on enhancing coordination among government entities to support start-ups and boost competitiveness.
Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom met with Amr El Abd, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Entrepreneurship, to discuss mechanisms for developing the national entrepreneurship ecosystem and creating a more enabling environment for start-ups. The meeting was also attended by Heba Shaheen, Executive Director of the Business Climate Reform Initiative “Erada”, and Heba Zaky, Director of the Egypt Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre.
Discussions centered on enhancing coordination among government entities to unify visions and develop policies that support start-ups, expand their activities, strengthen their competitiveness, and increase their contribution to economic growth and job creation. Rostom stressed that entrepreneurship represents a key priority on the ministry’s agenda, describing it as an important driver of innovation and economic expansion. He added that the success of such initiatives should ultimately be measured by their tangible impact on citizens’ lives, particularly through turning innovative ideas into real employment opportunities that raise income levels and improve quality of life.
The minister highlighted the role of NI Capital, a subsidiary of the National Investment Bank and one of the ministry’s development arms, in providing financing support to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. He noted that the government is also relying on the “Erada” initiative to simplify legislative and regulatory frameworks affecting businesses. Rostom added that the government is moving toward reviewing existing incentive packages and establishing sustainable financing mechanisms to support innovation and entrepreneurship.
For his part, El Abd said Egypt currently attracts around $400m annually in investments in the entrepreneurship sector, noting that this figure does not yet reflect the country’s full potential in this field. He stressed that stronger institutional coordination is essential to enhance the attractiveness of the Egyptian market and unlock greater investment flows into start-ups and innovation-driven enterprises.