Egypt Unveils Global Entrepreneurship Festival Lineup as 70+ Countries Prepare for November Summit
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The Arab Post
- . October 16, 2026
- . Update: October 16, 2026 2:36 pm
The organizers of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) officially announced the main content and strategic partnerships for the next edition of the global festival in Cairo, and opened international bookings for all kinds of tickets, after receiving an overwhelming response in countries around the world. The mega-event, which will take place under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, will bring together more than 10,000 participants and 200 investors from more than 70 countries.
Egypt is now in the final stages of organizing its third edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, which will take place Nov. 6–8 at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Cairo. After initial bookings sold out due to high demand from abroad, GEF 2026 Cairo has announced reopening for bookings of all ticket categories on Thursday.
Held under the patronage of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during Global Entrepreneurship Month, the three-day summit will run under the theme “The World We Help to Create”. According to Daily News Egypt, the gathering will convene more than 10,000 in-person participants, 200 venture capitalists and institutional investors, 100 enterprise exhibitors, and 60 global speakers from over 70 countries.
Organizers additionally introduced new strategic arrangements with Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA) and Shark Tank Egypt, to attain maximum tangible funding outcomes for the Egyptian startup ecosystem. The alliances are set up to support the local founders in accessing direct capital, scaling their operations and growing into export markets across the globe.
Global Leaders and Investors Converge at the Global Entrepreneurship Festival
The newly released agenda does not disappoint with its high caliber lineup of billion dollar industrialists, policy makers and global executives. The Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of the Mansour Group Mohamed Mansour, renowned cardiac surgeon Magdi Yacoub and former 7-Eleven CEO Jim Keyes will be among the keynote speakers and plenary speakers.
Other regional business leaders to join the Egyptian delegation are Ajman Holding Chairman Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Humaid Al Nuaimi and MHD ITICS Chairperson Lujiana Mohsin Darwish and Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk.
The Cairo summit is particularly aimed at bringing together government regulators and venture capital to overcome regulatory hurdles of emerging businesses, said Sumi Smart Francis, President of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival and Entrepreneurship Village founder.
Driving Cross-Border Investment and Regional Innovation
The timeline of GEF 2026 Cairo is divided into three phases: “Accelerate,” “Transform” and “Celebrate”—including 12 flagship events and five parallel tracks that run continuously throughout the conference. The Egypt State Information Service (SIS) explains that it is part of the country’s macroeconomic efforts aimed at establishing it as one of the main points of access to trade between Africa and the Middle East.
Entrepreneurs looking to invest across borders will have to undergo the process of pitching in the Entrepreneurs Investment Program (EIP) pitch arena and meet directly with the institutional funds in the Global Deal Room. At the same time, Policy and Innovation tracks will be held on AI and robotics, climate action and resilience, smart cities, aviation, and agribusiness, featuring official memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremonies.
The summit will wrap up on November 8 with the Global Entrepreneurs Award Gala, which will honor institutions and founders making substantial economic impact, according to EgyptInnovate, the government’s platform. Overall, the Global Entrepreneurship Festival is a powerful enabler for the Egyptian startup ecosystem and a bridge between the opportunities of international dialogues and actual cross-border investment.
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