Planning Minister: Egypt Advances to the Category of High Human Development Countries
The Planning Minister affirmed that Egypt has moved to the high human development category thanks to investments in education and health, during World Bank events in Bangkok.
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
Cairo - Nadeh Imam: Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Ahmed Rustom, confirmed that Egypt is advancing to the ranks of countries with high human development in the 2025 Human Development Report, allocating massive budgets to the education and health sectors.
This statement came during a speech delivered by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development at a high-level panel discussion titled “Private Investment in Skills Development in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” held as part of the intensive activities of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund taking place in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Dr. Rustom emphasized at the outset of his speech that the Egyptian state places investment in human capital at the top of its priorities. He pointed to the noticeable improvement in Egypt’s ranking in the 2025 Human Development Report, where the country ascended to the category of “high human development countries,” surpassing the average of developing and Arab nations.
He clarified that this achievement is the result of continuous increases in allocations to the education and health sectors, and unprecedented expansion in the establishment of technology schools to graduate generations capable of keeping pace with radical transformations in the labor market.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development also addressed questions raised by the growing role of artificial intelligence, affirming that modern technology is designed to enhance human capabilities and increase efficiency and productivity, not to replace humans or take their place. He stressed that Egypt is adopting an integrated framework of policies to address skills gaps and strengthen the integration between human and technological capabilities, thereby ensuring the enhancement of the competitiveness of the national economy in accordance with “Egypt Vision 2030.”
He noted that creating an investment environment for skills requires genuine involvement of the private sector; therefore, the state is working to activate “Sectoral Skills Councils” in several priority sectors. These councils allow business owners to participate directly in setting professional competency standards and designing training programs, ensuring that educational outputs are linked to the actual needs of institutions.
Regarding data governance, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development revealed Egypt’s cooperation with international partners to develop an integrated Labor Market Information System (LMIS). He highlighted the launch of the “Egyptian Career Outlook Portal,” in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. The portal provides accurate data on 147 professions, covering 98.2% of employment sectors, and tracks employment trends up to 2030, serving as a compass for students, job seekers, and policymakers.
Dr. Rustom concluded his speech by outlining the pillars of the “100 Million Learners” initiative, recently launched by the ministry in cooperation with Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, as part of the “Alexandria – Africa 2026” events, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The initiative aims to provide advanced educational pathways in management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation, reaching 100 million learners by 2030. He affirmed that sustainable economic development cannot be achieved in isolation from building a workforce equipped with the tools of the future.
