New Alamein – Arab Republic of Egypt
The first annual Arab Artificial Intelligence Forum will be held in El Alamein City from August 27 to 28, 2025. The forum is held under the patronage and attendance of His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, and is organized by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
The forum aims to translate the Arab AI vision, endorsed by the Arab Summit, into practical reality. It also aims to build a common Arab framework that ensures respect for Arab values, culture, and ethics. It also aims to strengthen cooperation with global AI pioneers and empower individuals through education and skills building, including the integration of AI into schools, universities, and training programs. The forum focuses on developing a robust digital infrastructure and AI-based Arabic language models. It also aims to drive economic growth by supporting startups, smart services, and creating new job opportunities. It also focuses on protecting digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, and ensuring the safe use of modern technologies.
The Arab Federation for Digital Economy participated with a high-level delegation that included His Excellency Eng. Atef Helmy, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Federation’s General Assembly; His Excellency Eng. Hani Mahmoud, former Minister of Communications and Information Technology and member of the Federation’s Board of Directors; and Dr. Mohamed Fahmy, Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Committee at the Arab Federation for Digital Economy .
The delegation participated in the discussions of the second session of the forum, entitled: “The Role of the Arab Private Sector and Arab Businessmen in Activating and Implementing the Arab Artificial Intelligence Initiative , ” which discussed the pivotal role of the private sector in supporting and implementing projects and initiatives .
In his speech, His Excellency Engineer Atef Helmy emphasized the importance of private sector participation in adopting artificial intelligence technologies, pointing to the need to direct investments toward projects that support technological leadership and align with the sustainable development agenda in Arab countries. He also called for building strategic partnerships between governments and the private sector by establishing business incubators and innovation centers, and providing the necessary funding for startups in this vital field .
For his part, His Excellency Engineer Hani Mahmoud explained that a strong digital infrastructure forms the foundation for activating artificial intelligence technologies, noting that the contribution of major companies to developing this infrastructure is a key factor in accelerating digital transformation. He highlighted the need to invest in human resources through specialized training and capacity building, considering that developing competencies is no less important than investing in technology .
Dr. Mohamed Fahmy noted that the Arab Federation for Digital Economy is working on developing joint research initiatives and projects to support artificial intelligence applications in vital sectors such as health, education, and energy, emphasizing that building an Arab innovation ecosystem requires the integration of efforts between governments, the private sector, and academic institutions.
The session also discussed ways to encourage the private sector to direct its investments toward AI projects that support sustainable development, as well as opportunities for joint investment in digital infrastructure, education, and training. The discussions also resulted in practical recommendations that will be submitted to the League of Arab States to ensure the continuity of the initiatives and maximize their impact at the regional and Arab levels.
