Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, met with Osama Saleh, Chairperson of Ayady for Investment and Development, affiliated with the National Investment Bank (NIB), to explore ways to strengthen national efforts supporting entrepreneurship and start-ups, and to create a more enabling environment to enhance their contribution to the Egyptian economy.
The meeting was attended by Ashraf Negm, Managing Director of the National Investment Bank; Sara Amer, the company’s Chief Executive Officer; Gehan Saleh, Adviser and Board Member; Heba Zaki, Director of the Egypt Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; alongside a number of ministry officials.
At the outset, Rostom underscored the growing importance of Egypt’s entrepreneurship and start-up sector, reaffirming the government’s commitment to introducing further incentives and supportive measures to enhance competitiveness and increase the sector’s share in national output.
He noted that the meeting forms part of a broader series of consultations with affiliated entities and key stakeholders to build on existing efforts, including the launch of the Start-ups Charter. Ongoing co-ordination with ecosystem players, he added, is focused on developing executive mechanisms to strengthen the innovation economy’s contribution to GDP.
Rostom also pointed to intensified inter-ministerial co-ordination in the coming period, particularly through the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa. He added that entities affiliated with the ministry will play a stronger role in introducing innovative financing and support mechanisms, while promoting a culture of innovation and creativity.
For his part, Saleh outlined Ayady’s efforts in alignment with the government’s vision to deepen public-private partnerships and roll out joint projects that expand private sector participation in economic activity.
Since its inception, Ayady has maximised returns on investment through a flexible, diversified portfolio delivering measurable developmental impact, particularly in microfinance, consumer finance, and other vital sectors, he said.
Saleh added that the company’s investments span approximately 24 governorates, noting that this diversification creates attractive exit opportunities for private investors, whether through strategic partnerships or capital market listings.
The meeting also reviewed mechanisms to leverage the capabilities of both NIB and Ayady to expand financing channels for start-ups, alongside supporting the ministry’s Clusters initiative, which aims to strengthen local value chains and stimulate productive activity across governorates.
