AYAIR 2026 Concludes at AlameinAfrica Forum with African AI and Robotics Winners Honored
Egypt Highlights Youth Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
The third edition of the African Presidential Youth Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AYAIR 2026) concluded on Friday as part of the AlameinAfrica Forum, with senior Egyptian and African officials attending the closing ceremony.
Egypt hosted the competition under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, alongside the eighth mid-year coordination meeting of the African Union.
The closing ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi, along with several African officials and representatives from financial and technology institutions.
African Officials Attend AYAIR 2026 Closing Ceremony
Among those attending the ceremony were Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD); Abdullah Khalil Al-Mosabbeh, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA); Oyeyemi Kale, Chief Economist and Managing Director of Research at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank); and Yvonne Baldwin Moche, CEO of Ele-vate AI Africa.
The event highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in supporting innovation and addressing development challenges across the African continent.
Egypt Stresses Support for African Youth and Technology Innovation
During the ceremony, Badr Abdelatty emphasized that the competition reflects Egypt’s interest in empowering African youth and building their capabilities in artificial intelligence, robotics and emerging technologies.
He also stressed the importance of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and providing platforms that enable young people to transform their ideas into practical solutions addressing development challenges while supporting digital transformation and economic integration across Africa.
For his part, Raafat Hindi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to continued cooperation with African youth and joint efforts to leverage technology in support of development across the continent.
He explained that the competition represents one of several mechanisms supporting the broader use of artificial intelligence technologies across different sectors by helping innovators transform their ideas into viable products and projects.
Winners Receive Recognition for AI and Robotics Projects
During the closing ceremony, Abdelatty, Hindi and the head of the AUDA-NEPAD office honored the winners and presented Innovation and Technology Excellence Certificates to the top three projects in the competition.
The winning projects presented innovative artificial intelligence and robotics solutions designed to address priority development challenges across Africa.
Egyptian Participant Wins First Place in AI Category
Sagi El-Assal from Egypt won first place in the Presidential Award category for Ethical Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare Solutions.
She was recognized for developing an AI-powered smart assistive device designed to support wheelchair users, helping improve their mobility and ability to move more independently and safely while addressing some of the accessibility and mobility challenges faced by people with disabilities.
Winning Projects Evaluated on Practical Impact
The judging panel selected the winning projects based on their ability to move beyond theoretical concepts by delivering practical and applicable solutions.
The evaluation also considered their tangible development and social impact, as well as their contribution to digital transformation and innovation across Africa.
Finalists to Receive Financial Awards and Mentorship
The finalists will receive awards and financial prizes totaling up to $120,000.
They will also have access to mentorship opportunities from investors, in addition to support from innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems and partners across Africa and globally.