Egypt’s government is prepared to provide all necessary financial backing for a national programme to discover and nurture talented individuals, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced, stating the country must support and embrace its “soft power.”
During a meeting held at the government headquarters in New Alamein City to review proposals for the National Programme for Discovering and Sponsoring Talented Individuals, Madbouly directed the formation of clear executive programmes to achieve the state’s objectives. He noted that the initiative follows directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to build generations capable of competing and innovating.
Madbouly highlighted that Egypt’s population of 120m possesses numerous talents across fields such as medicine, science, arts, literature, and sports. Citing the “State of Recitation” broadcasting programme as a successful model for discovering local creators, he emphasised the need to provide similar platforms to prove youth skills and build national capacities.
Minister of Finance Ahmed Kouchouk stressed the importance of investing in talent, noting that the ministry is studying the possibility of incentivising various institutions to sponsor gifted individuals while ensuring the system’s governance. Deputy Minister of Finance for Financial Policies Yasser Sobhy also attended the discussions.
Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy outlined the “I am Talented” initiative, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture’s Supreme Council for Childhood and Motherhood, UNICEF, and other partners. The programme has discovered 1,050 children with literary and artistic talents, later filtered down to 550 students. Morsy proposed expanding the initiative, currently active in schools across five governorates, nationwide. She also suggested reviving a 2016 inter-governorate football league, previously coordinated with the sports ministry, to scout athletic talents for professional clubs.
Stressing that nurturing is more critical than discovery, Minister of Education and Technical Education Mohamed Abdel Latif called for the creation of an “incubator” and specific mechanisms for the gifted. He noted that the ministry is currently implementing a programme to support sports talents in Egyptian villages.
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Acting Minister of Culture Abdel Aziz Kansouwa presented a framework linking talent discovery to building a knowledge economy and soft power. He detailed initiatives including “A Professor for Every Factory” to connect universities and research centres with industrial problem-solving, the Innovators and Geniuses Care Fund, and programmes supporting sustainable energy, water conservation, and environmental solutions.
Minister of Youth and Sports Gohar Nabil introduced a strategic framework dubbed the “Youth Economy,” aimed at turning the competitive advantages of governorates into developmental opportunities. Targeting the 2026-2029 period, the programme seeks to bridge gaps in local economies, equitable development, and labour market needs. Nabil also highlighted a school sports initiative and the “Egypt’s Students Create Future Solutions” competition, which tasks students aged 8 to 18 with solving sustainability challenges.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi noted that existing IT initiatives contribute to talent discovery, adding that integrating them into the broader higher education strategy is essential for nurturing these innovators.
