Cairo 2026: Why the 'Ai Everything' Summit Matters

✨ A Global Convergence

Mark your calendars for February 11-12, 2026. The "Ai Everything MEA" summit, organized by GITEX GLOBAL, is transforming Cairo into the focal point of the global AI conversation. This isn't just another tech conference—it's the largest gathering of AI practitioners, investors, and policymakers in the Middle East and Africa, and it's happening in Egypt for the first time. The decision to host in Cairo, rather than the usual Dubai or Riyadh, is itself a powerful signal of Egypt's rising prominence in the global tech ecosystem.

🔹 What to Expect

The summit brings together an unprecedented concentration of global talent and capital under one roof:

• ✅ Global Leaders: Delegations from over 60 countries including major tech hubs like Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, and Bangalore. Senior executives from Google DeepMind, Microsoft AI, OpenAI, and Anthropic have confirmed speaking slots, making this a rare opportunity to hear from the architects of the AI revolution.
• ✅ The "AI 300": A showcase of the top 300 most promising AI startups in the region, handpicked for investor readiness. Each startup goes through a rigorous vetting process, and selected companies receive complimentary exhibition space, pre-scheduled investor meetings, and media coverage through GITEX's global media network.
• ✅ Supernova Challenge: High-stakes pitch competitions connecting founders with Tier-1 VCs, with a prize pool exceeding $100,000. Past Supernova winners have gone on to raise Series A rounds within 6 months of winning, making this one of the most valuable pitch opportunities in the region.
• ✅ Government Tech Pavilion: A dedicated space where Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology will unveil new digital government initiatives, including AI-powered citizen services, smart city dashboards, and automated regulatory compliance tools.

🔹 The Speaker Lineup

The confirmed keynote speakers represent a cross-section of academic, corporate, and governmental AI leadership. Dr. Hossam Osman, Egypt's Chief Digital Officer, will open Day 1 with a vision statement on Egypt's AI sovereignty strategy. This will be followed by technical deep-dives from researchers at FAIR (Meta's AI lab), Google Brain, and the Allen Institute for AI.

Panel discussions will cover contentious topics including AI regulation vs. innovation, the ethics of generative AI in Arabic-speaking societies, and the practical challenges of deploying AI in emerging markets with limited infrastructure. These aren't surface-level conversations—the organizers have specifically designed the panels to produce actionable frameworks that attendees can implement immediately.

💡 "This serves as a testament to Egypt's rising status as a critical node in the global digital economy. Cairo isn't just hosting the conversation—it's leading it."

🔹 Key Themes

This year's agenda focuses heavily on Generative AI in Governance and AI for Climate Action, aligning perfectly with Egypt's COP legacy and national digitization goals. Additional tracks include:

• ✅ Arabic AI: Dedicated sessions on Arabic LLMs, dialectal NLP, and culturally-aware AI systems. This track alone features 15 presentations from researchers across 8 Arab countries.
• ✅ AI for Health: Showcasing telemedicine platforms, diagnostic AI, and the integration of machine learning into Egypt's 100 Million Seha health initiative.
• ✅ Responsible AI: Workshops on bias detection, algorithmic auditing, and building AI systems that serve diverse populations equitably.
• ✅ AI Infrastructure: Technical sessions on building and operating GPU clusters, optimizing inference at scale, and the economics of AI compute in Africa.

🔹 Cairo's Transformation into a Tech Hub

Hosting the summit is a strategic win for Cairo, which has been aggressively rebranding itself as the "Silicon Valley of the Middle East." The influx of 10,000+ international attendees is expected to generate over $15 million in direct economic impact for the city. But the long-term value lies in the connections made. Local startups will have direct access to Silicon Valley investors without needing a plane ticket. University students will be able to attend workshops led by world-class researchers. The event also showcases the New Administrative Capital's "Knowledge City," a massive purpose-built district for tech innovation, proving that Egypt has the physical infrastructure to match its digital ambitions.

🔹 Networking and Side Events

Beyond the main stage, the summit features curated networking dinners, closed-door investor roundtables, and startup-corporate matchmaking sessions. The "AI After Dark" evening events provide informal settings for founders to connect with VCs, potential acquirers, and strategic partners. Corporate attendees can book one-on-one "Speed Consulting" sessions with AI implementation experts, getting personalized advice on their specific use cases.

🔹 Practical Information for Attendees

The event takes place at the Egypt International Exhibition Center (EIEC) in New Cairo, which was recently expanded to accommodate large-scale international events. Registration categories range from General Admission (free for startups) to VIP packages ($500) that include access to exclusive lounges, priority seating, and private meeting rooms.

For international visitors, the Egyptian government has announced streamlined e-visa processing for summit attendees, with typical approval times of 48 hours. Hotels in the New Cairo and Heliopolis areas are offering special conference rates, and shuttle services will operate between major hotels and the venue throughout the event.

Whether you're a founder seeking funding, a corporate leader exploring AI adoption, or a developer looking to connect with the regional ecosystem, this summit represents the single most important opportunity of 2026 in the MEA region. Early registration is strongly recommended—the AI 300 showcase sold out within two weeks of opening applications.