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Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, outlined the features of the National Executive Program for Entrepreneurship, developed by the Egyptian government under the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The program aims to unify governmental efforts, enhance the business environment, and solidify Egypt’s competitive edge as a regional hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.

These remarks were delivered on his behalf by Dr. Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, during the announcement that Egypt will host the third edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, scheduled to take place from November 6 to 8.

Dr. Rostom emphasized that the Egyptian state places immense importance on entrepreneurship, viewing it as a fundamental pillar of economic development, a primary engine for growth, and a key driver for productivity and investment attraction. He noted that the success of nations is no longer measured solely by the size of their economies, but by their capacity to produce knowledge, convert innovation into economic value, and empower startups to scale.

The National Executive Program serves as a comprehensive framework to upgrade the ecosystem by improving the business climate, fostering innovation, facilitating funding, and building capacities. Dr. Rostom explained that the program rests on four main pillars:

Stakeholder Engagement: Through the National Entrepreneurship Forum, organized by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA).

Institutional Framework: Establishing an Entrepreneurship Unit under the Cabinet.

Capacity Building: Spearheaded by the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship.

Innovative Financing: Creating new funding mechanisms and a dedicated entrepreneurship fund.

To ensure seamless coordination across different entities, the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship has been restructured under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Hussein Eissa, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. The Ministry of Planning serves as its technical secretariat, comprising nine ministers and three regulatory bodies.

The Minister highlighted the pivotal role of the Egypt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation as the national platform for capacity building. The center has recently launched specialized programs to qualify entrepreneurs, train incubator managers, and implement pre-incubation programs in priority sectors. Furthermore, it launched the "Business Clinic" as an institutional mechanism for direct dialogue with startups to monitor challenges and translate them into actionable policies.

Dr. Rostom concluded that hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Festival comes at a critical time, aligning with the accelerated efforts to achieve "Egypt Vision 2030." He affirmed that Egypt views this festival as an international platform to support the "Africa 2063" agenda, fostering continental economic integration and providing African startups with broader opportunities for growth, funding, and global market expansion.