By: Van
Soul Addey
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty and
Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Raafat Hendy have
attended the closing ceremony of the third Presidential African Youth in AI and
Robotics Competition (AYAIR 2026), where young African innovators were
recognised for developing technology-driven solutions to development
challenges.
The ceremony, hosted by
Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, was held on the
sidelines of Alamein Africa Forum and the 2026 African Union Mid-Year Summit.
The event brought together
CEO of the African Union Development Agency – Partnership for Africa's
Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nardos Bekele-Thomas, President of the Arab Bank for
Economic Development (BADEA) Abdullah Khalil Almusaibeeh, Chief Economist and Managing
Director for Research and International Cooperation at African Export-Import
Bank (Afreximbank) Yemi Kale, Co-Founder and CEO of Ele-vate AI Africa Yvonne
Baldwin Mushi, and members of the AYAIR judging panel.
In his remarks, Abdelatty
emphasized that AYAIR 2026 reflects Egypt’s commitment to empowering African
youth and equipping them with skills in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics,
and emerging technologies.
He underscored the
importance of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and providing platforms
for young people to turn their ideas into practical solutions that address
development challenges and drive digital transformation and economic
integration across Africa.
The ICT Minister affirmed
Egypt’s commitment to continuing to work closely with African youth and
advancing joint efforts to harness technology to support development across the
continent.
He explained that AYAIR 2026
serves as an important platform for unlocking the full potential of AI across
diverse sectors, helping innovators transform their ideas into viable products
and projects.
During the ceremony,
Abdelatty, Hendy and the CEO of AUDA-NEPAD honored the top three projects with
Certificates of Excellence in Innovation and Technology.
The winning projects
featured innovative AI- and robotics-based solutions addressing key development
challenges across the continent.
Among the honorees was Sagy
El-Assal from Egypt, who secured first place in the Presidential Award “Grand
Prize” category for ethical AI and healthcare.
El-Assal was recognised for
developing an AI-powered smart assistive device for wheelchair users that
enhances mobility, enables safer and more independent movement, and helps
overcome accessibility challenges faced by persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The winners were selected
for going beyond good ideas to offer practical solutions that can be put to
work and scaled up, with real benefits for society and development, while
contributing to digital transformation and innovation across Africa.
Participants and finalists
receive a range of prizes and support, including $120,000 in cash prizes,
mentoring and incubation, and introductions to investors and international
partners.
The competition also helps
promising projects connect with innovation and entrepreneurship networks and
potential partners in Africa and abroad.
