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The 30th edition of the Cairo ICT 2026 conference and exhibition officially opened today at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in New Cairo. Held under the theme «AI in Action» from November 7 to 10, the event is under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly. Organized by Trade Fairs International in partnership with the United Media Services, this year's edition features official participation from 6 nations: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China, Sudan, Togo, and Rwanda.

Prime Minister's Tour and Official Opening

The events began with an inspection tour by Dr. Moustafa Madbouly across the exhibition pavilions to explore the latest digital solutions. This was followed by the official opening ceremony, featuring speeches from event sponsors and global companies, alongside the keynote address by Eng. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, who highlighted strategies for building digital infrastructure and practical AI deployment in Egypt.

Ministerial Summit: Discussing the National Impact of AI

Day one hosted a high-level ministerial summit titled «AI in Action: From Success Stories to Large-Scale National Impact», moderated by Osama Kamal, Chairman of Trade Fairs International. Featuring the ministers of Communications, Finance, Electricity, Water Resources, Justice, and Investment, the panel discussed integrating AI across government and economic sectors to boost service efficiency and productivity.

Strategic Panels: The Big 12, Economic Partnerships, and Future Networks

The Big 12 Session: Brought together 12 leaders from top global and regional tech giants (including Dell Technologies, Orange, Oracle, Microsoft, Cisco, and Telecom Egypt) to chart the roadmap for tech and the future of AI.

Financial Reform Session: Gathered Egyptian Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk and Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber to examine the role of modern tech in supporting economic stability and growth.

IPv6 Networks & Sovereign Infrastructure: A joint session by Huawei and the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) focused on IPv6 network readiness, while a roundtable co-organized with AICTO and the Smart Africa alliance explored building sovereign AI infrastructure and Arab-African data centers.

Specialized Exhibitions and Parallel Innovation Events

Cairo ICT 2026 features a range of specialized co-located events this year:

AIDC² & PAFIX: The 3rd edition of the AI, Data Centers, and Cloud Computing Exhibition, alongside the 13th edition of the PAFIX Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion Expo under the auspices of the Central Bank of Egypt.

Connecta & Connecta Play: Showcasing smart devices, entertainment tech, and gaming in collaboration with the Information Technology Institute (ITI).

Awards & Hackathons: The debut of the MEA AI Awards 2026, the "Khayal" AI short film competition, the AI Innovation Factory hackathon, and the Cyber Zone.

Osama Kamal emphasized that this 30th anniversary edition focuses on turning AI from theoretical concepts into tangible, actionable solutions that empower startups and align innovation with market demands.