MBRF-organised Youth Knowledge Forum commences in Egypt

The fourth edition of the Youth Knowledge Forum (YKF), titled ‘Knowledge Economy and Human Development,’ commenced at the Cairo University Theatre, garnering wide participation both regionally and internationally.

It is being organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) through the Youth Knowledge Office, under the patronage of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt.

The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, along with several other ministers and senior officials, including Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture; and Counsellor Mahmoud Fawzy, Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs.

The inaugural session was also graced by the presence of Jamal Bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF; Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadek, President of Cairo University; and Eng. Hany Torky, Project Manager of the Knowledge Project at UNDP, as well as a distinguished group of partners and experts. Furthermore, attendees enjoyed a vibrant lineup of musical and artistic performances by the ‘Percussion’ troupe.

Dr. Ashraf Sobhy stressed that as the host of the Forum’s fourth edition, Egypt has demonstrated its strong commitment to investing in human capital and capacity building. Moreover, he stated that the knowledge economy is the backbone of the nation’s ongoing development efforts.

He further stated: “The forum serves as a dynamic platform for impactful dialogue and youth policymaking, redefining benchmarks of how government institutions should engage with youth in an era of digital and knowledge transformation. Through such initiatives, we strive to enhance the creativity, awareness, and leadership qualities of Arab youth, since empowering them today is fundamental to building a cohesive society and a sustainable, competitive economy.”

Jamal Bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, expressed his delight at the Forum’s return to Cairo, following the success of last year’s edition. He further underscored that Arab youth empowerment remains a cornerstone of the Foundation’s strategic vision.

Meanwhile, Eng. Hany Torky, Project Manager of UNDP’s Knowledge Project, emphasised that the world’s greatest challenge today is not a lack of professional opportunities, but a growing skill gap, which is hindering individuals’ ability to keep pace with digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Following the opening, the first session titled ‘Knowledge Economy and Human Development’ was moderated by Mostafa Magdy, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports for Strategic Affairs and Information, and a member of the Technical Secretariat of the Ministerial Group for Human Development. The session explored the importance of formulating a comprehensive vision for the knowledge economy and examined the role of Egypt’s development policies in supporting the same.

The event also featured a second session titled ‘Formulating Development Policies in the Era of the Knowledge Economy,’ which was moderated by Fathi Emad, Director of the Egyptian Knowledge Youth Office. The session facilitated discussions on enhancing public policies, in line with global shifts in knowledge and innovation.

The session witnessed the participation of Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports; Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture; Jamal Bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF; and Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadek, President of Cairo University. Together, they outlined Egypt’s future vision for strengthening the knowledge economy, emphasising the need to invest in human capital while fostering robust collaboration between the government and other institutions to drive knowledge-based development.

On the first day, the Forum facilitated six specialized panel discussions addressing a variety of key topics, including strategies for advancing the knowledge economy in Egypt, the role of international institutions in fostering a knowledge-friendly environment, the transformation of education to meet the needs of the modern era, artificial intelligence as a key driver of development, and the impact of misinformation on the economy and society.

The sessions attracted wide participation from a group of leading executives and experts from prestigious organizations such as Microsoft, Uber, and Blocks 17, in addition to prominent academic and thought leaders.