Cairo ICT 2026 Welcomes 184,600 Visitors as 30th Edition Records 12% Growth
The 30th edition of the Cairo International Technology Exhibition and Conference, Cairo ICT 2026, concluded after four days of activities held from November 7 to 10, bringing together government officials, technology leaders, experts and industry professionals from Egypt, the Arab region and Africa.
Held under the patronage and in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the event was organized by Trade Fairs International in partnership with United Media Services. The exhibition hosted nine ministers and 29 deputy ministers and heads of government authorities, alongside high-level delegations from Arab and African organizations and officials from Lebanon and Iraq.
Visitor Numbers Rise 12% to 184,600
The exhibition occupied the full space of the Egypt International Exhibition Center, spanning four halls that hosted a wide range of exhibitions, conferences and activities.
Total attendance exceeded 184,600 visitors over the four-day event, marking a 12% increase compared with the previous edition. Connecta, held as part of Cairo ICT, attracted approximately 121,400 visitors, representing year-on-year growth of 23%.
Exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the profile of attendees and their strong interest in the participating companies and topics presented throughout the exhibition.
18 Partnership Agreements and New Cybersecurity Framework
One of the key announcements was the launch of the second edition of the Egyptian Comprehensive Cybersecurity Framework by the Central Bank of Egypt.
The exhibition also witnessed the signing of 18 high-level partnership and cooperation agreements. Its program included six closed-door roundtables involving the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Transport.
Two additional roundtables were organized by the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization, while the Central Bank of Egypt held a dedicated discussion on data centers serving the banking sector.
Osama Kamal Highlights Three Decades of Development
Osama Kamal, Chairman of Trade Fairs International and organizer of Cairo ICT, said the exhibition's journey began in 1996 and has continued through the support of partners across government, business and the media.
He highlighted the contributions of the political leadership, the Cabinet, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, other key ministries, exhibiting companies and media organizations in supporting the event and showcasing technological developments over successive editions.
Kamal also thanked Raafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, for his support and for directing the ministry's various sectors to present their initiatives and achievements during the exhibition.
He said the 30th edition introduced the first activities of KHAYAL Show, an initiative designed to encourage innovation in creative industries and filmmaking through artificial intelligence. The event recorded significant success and attracted substantial investments expected to support future expansion.
The exhibition also launched a mobile application powered by AI analytics to improve services for visitors and exhibitors and support more effective participation.
Conferences and Specialized Tracks Attract Hundreds of Speakers
Cairo ICT hosted approximately 14 sessions featuring 60 speakers. PAFIX, held under the auspices of the Central Bank of Egypt, featured seven sessions and 47 speakers.
AIDC hosted 24 sessions with 115 speakers, while Connecta presented a total of 100 activities, including sessions, keynote speeches and workshops, with 135 speakers.
Innovation Arena featured three sessions and 34 speakers, in addition to 14 talks and lectures, two workshops and presentations by six startups.
AI Innovation Factory hosted around 25 sessions and showcased 13 locally developed AI solutions, with the participation of nine AI-focused startups. The area also delivered more than 750 live practical applications involving participants without specialized technology backgrounds.
Cybersecurity, Gaming and Creative Industries
The cybersecurity track, organized in cooperation with Cyshield, delivered 10 lectures featuring 12 speakers. It also included competitions involving 10 teams and attracted more than 300 participants.
The gaming activities recorded over 27,000 matches, involving 9,000 players over three days. Total prizes reached EGP 300,000, distributed at EGP 100,000 per day.
Meanwhile, KHAYAL Show hosted 65 discussion sessions featuring 109 speakers.
Government and Banking Leaders Attend the Exhibition
The participating ministers and officials included Raafat Hindi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population; Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance; Mahmoud El Sherif, Minister of Justice; Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy; Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation; Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade; and Mohamed Abdel Latif, Minister of Education and Technical Education.
The event also welcomed Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance; former Minister of Administrative Development Ahmed Darwish; George Maaraoui, Director General of Public Finance at Lebanon's Ministry of Finance; Claudine Karky and Rima Farah, advisers to the Lebanese finance minister's delegation; and Ahmed Daher, Deputy Minister of Education and Technical Education.
The 13th edition of PAFIX also featured senior Central Bank of Egypt officials, following a delegation assignment by Governor Hassan Abdalla. Attendees included Deputy Governors Rami Abou El Naga and Tarek El Khouly; Sherif Hazem, Deputy Governor for Cybersecurity; Ehab Nasr, Assistant Deputy Governor for Payment Systems and Services; and Khaled Bassiouny, General Manager of Financial Inclusion.
Other participating officials included Mohamed Ben Omar, Director General of the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization; Islam Azzam, Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority; Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority; Amr Abbas, the authority's Vice Chairman; Dalia El Baz, Chairperson of the National Postal Authority; and Ahmed El Zaher, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA).
At the conclusion of his remarks, Kamal thanked EgyptAir for serving as the official carrier for the participating delegations. He dedicated the success of the 30th edition to the memory of the late Amani Ghanem, who contributed to establishing the exhibition and supported its journey over many years.
