Al-Mashat participates in virtual webinar on knowledge economy

CAIRO - 23 May 2020: Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat participated in a virtual meeting organized by the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) with more than 1,000 attendees from the region.

The session moderated by H.E. Hussain El Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTIP and joined by H.E. Dr. Talal Abu Ghazala, the President and Founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Group entitled “Horizons of Scientific Research and Knowledge Economy in the Arab World highlighted the importance of investing in innovation as the driving force in the era of digitalization.

The minister pointed out the strong role of a knowledge economy and technological infrastructure in advancing productivity and human capital. "This is an opportunity for technology-based entrepreneurship, which through innovation and creativity, can provide solutions for Egypt’s sustainable future and progress towards a competitive and inclusive economy”, she said.

To watch the virtual webinar:




The MENA region has the largest youth population in the world, which in times of crises, can be leveraged for its ability to adapt quickly, gaining a competitive edge in the domain of innovation. “It is essential to continue efforts in establishing smart educational systems in the region and to activate technology - centric industrial initiatives”.

The Ministry of International Cooperation continues to work closely with its multilateral and bilateral partners on official development assistance to advance industries to cope with the 4th Industrial Revolution but also through providing technical assistance to develop capacity and promote human resources and skills development particularly skills required for modern and contemporary industries.

The minister explained that the Egyptian government has emphasized the importance of infrastructure investments to complement the education reforms that have been under taken, to achieve Egypt’s Vision 2030.

The minister also added, the importance of women’s contribution to the knowledge economy stating that “the participation of women is macro-critical providing examples in the region such as 41% in scientific researches are led by Arab women with 45% in Egypt. She added that Egypt is the first country in Africa and the MENA to launch the World Economic Forum Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator” together with the National Council of Women. The accelerator aims to increase the number of women in the labor market, promote more women into leadership positions, close wage gaps and ensure that women have the skills demanded by the future of work and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

On the pandemic, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh explained that the crises pushed Arab countries forward to work remotely. He commended the Egyptian leadership for setting up a sound digital infrastructure and distributing tablets over school students, noting that a country’s real investment lied in its digital infrastructure. He called on Egypt to lead a project for the establishment of a Digital Arab Unit in coordination with the Arab League of States where Arab countries could benefit from each other’s experiences and could carry out digital trade.