Egypt is positioning digital freelancers at the center of its strategy to grow cross-border services and digital exports, according to a senior official.
Mahmoud Sofrata, Vice President for Market Development at the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, spoke at the WorkShift Summit 2026. He said structural shifts in the global labour market are turning freelance work into a core part of the digital economy.
Sofrata noted that Egypt ranks ninth globally in freelancing with an estimated 850,000 digital freelancers, per the World Bank. The country graduates nearly 750,000 university students each year, including around 50,000 engineers.
The agency is expanding training programmes such as Egypt FWD and ITIDA Gigs while preparing new incentive packages. Digital services already account for more than 6% of GDP, with revenues rising from $5.2 billion in 2025 toward a $6 billion target for 2026.