Egypt could generate between $5bn and $9bn in annual revenues from exporting digital services and remote work talent if the government achieves its target of creating 630,000 jobs through digital services exports by 2029, according to Nermeen El-Nemr, Founder of WorkShift Summit, CEO of Man-Tech, and Founder of @Job, formerly known as El-Hareefa.
In an interview with Daily News Egypt, El-Nemr said digital recruitment platforms are increasingly evolving beyond their traditional role as employment intermediaries to become strategic channels for exporting Egyptian talent and generating foreign currency revenues for the national economy.
“When an Egyptian professional works remotely from Egypt for a company in Europe, the Gulf, or the United States, the country is effectively exporting a digital service whose revenues return to the local economy in foreign currency,” she said.
El-Nemr argued that Egypt’s next challenge is to transform itself from a domestic labour market into a regional hub for digital talent exports. She noted that platforms such as @Job can play a pivotal role by connecting Egyptian professionals with international employers while facilitating recruitment, payments and remote workforce management.
According to her estimates, achieving the government’s goal of creating 630,000 digital export jobs could generate annual revenues ranging between $5bn and $9bn, depending on income levels across digital services and remote work sectors.
She added that the economic impact would extend beyond direct earnings, creating positive spillovers across technology, financial services, digital payments, entrepreneurship and domestic consumption.
“Investing in the export of digital skills is just as important as investing in traditional export industries because it leverages one of Egypt’s most valuable assets—its human capital,” El-Nemr said.
Addressing workforce readiness, El-Nemr stressed that upskilling should be a shared responsibility among government institutions, private sector companies, educational establishments, individuals and international development partners.
She described workforce development as a long-term economic investment rather than a cost and emphasised the need for collaborative programmes that align skills development with evolving labour market demands.
El-Nemr said one of the primary objectives of WorkShift 2026 is to bring together policymakers, business leaders and industry experts to identify practical solutions to future workforce challenges and accelerate their implementation.
On infrastructure, she acknowledged the progress Egypt has made in recent years but said further investments are needed in high-speed broadband networks, data centres, cloud computing, cybersecurity and reliable energy supplies to strengthen the country’s competitiveness against major outsourcing and remote work destinations such as India and the Philippines.
She also called for targeted tax incentives linked to job creation, simplified regulations for digital businesses, stronger support for digital service exports and streamlined customs procedures for importing technology and digital infrastructure.
Commenting on the gap between education outcomes and labour market requirements, El-Nemr urged businesses to play a more active role in shaping educational curricula and workforce development programmes.
She advocated permanent partnerships between universities and employers, continuous updates to skills requirements and a shift towards skills-based education models that prioritise practical competencies alongside academic qualifications.
“The future labour market can no longer wait years for graduates to acquire skills that are needed immediately,” she said, predicting growing demand for professional certifications, hands-on training programmes and project-based learning in the years ahead.
