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Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, and Eng. Raafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, attended the closing ceremony of the third edition of the African Presidential Youth Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AYAIR 2026) on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Egypt is hosting the competition under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The closing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the Alamein – Africa Forum and the African Union Mid-Year Summit.

The ceremony was attended by Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency; Abdullah Khalil Al Musaibeeh, Chairman of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; Dr. Oyeimi Kale, Group Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research at the African Export-Import Bank; Yvonne Baldwin Moshi, CEO of Elevate AI Africa; and several members of the competition’s judging committee.
Egypt Highlights Support for African Youth in Emerging Technologies
Dr. Badr Abdelatty said the competition reflects Egypt’s interest in empowering African youth and developing their capabilities in artificial intelligence, robotics and emerging technologies.
He highlighted the importance of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship while providing platforms that enable young people to turn their ideas into practical solutions addressing development challenges and contributing to digital transformation and economic integration across Africa.

Egypt Emphasizes Technology’s Role in Africa’s Development
Eng. Raafat Hindi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to continued cooperation with African youth and joint efforts to use technology in support of development across the continent.

He explained that the competition represents one of the mechanisms supporting the use of artificial intelligence technologies across various sectors by helping innovators transform their ideas into applicable products and projects.
Top Three Projects Receive Innovation and Technology Awards
During the ceremony, the two ministers and the CEO of the African Union Development Agency honored the creators of the competition’s top three projects and awarded them Certificates of Excellence in Innovation and Technology.
The winning projects presented innovative solutions based on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies to address priority development challenges across Africa.
Egyptian participant Sagi El-Assal won first place in the Presidential Award category in the fields of ethical artificial intelligence and healthcare solutions.
She was recognized for developing an AI-powered smart assistive device designed to support wheelchair users by improving their ability to move and navigate more independently and safely, while addressing some of the accessibility and mobility challenges faced by people with disabilities.
$120,000 in Prizes and Opportunities for Participants
The winning projects were selected based on the competition’s focus on ideas and projects that move beyond theoretical concepts toward practical, scalable solutions capable of creating tangible development and social impact while supporting digital transformation and innovation across Africa.
The competition offers a range of prizes, benefits and opportunities to participants and finalists, including total financial prizes worth $120,000.
Participants and finalists also have access to mentorship, guidance and incubation opportunities, as well as opportunities to connect with investors and international partners.
The program also supports connecting promising projects with innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems and potential partners at both the African and international levels.