Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom stressed on Friday, October 9, 2026, the need to continuously develop Egypt’s skills development system to prepare the national workforce for future jobs amid rapid changes in the global economy.
He noted that the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies is creating new opportunities in the labor market while increasing demand for specialized skills.
Rostom made the remarks during a meeting with Firas Abu Hamza, LinkedIn’s head of government affairs for the Middle East and North Africa, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in forecasting labor market needs and using big data to identify the skills most in demand.
The discussions focused on aligning Egypt’s human capital development policies with evolving global economic and technological trends.
Rostom stressed the importance of directing training and skills development efforts toward economic sectors with the greatest potential to create quality, sustainable jobs.
“This would help bridge the gap between job seekers’ capabilities and employers’ actual needs, strengthen professional competencies and enhance the international competitiveness of Egyptian talent,” he said.
The meeting also addressed ways to integrate LinkedIn’s databases and advanced analytics with Egypt’s national data and statistics to develop a detailed map of skills gaps and identify the specializations most in demand.
This would provide policymakers with a tool to support workforce planning.
For his part, Abu Hamza said Egypt was a major market for LinkedIn, with around 14 million users, including professionals, young people and businesses.
He said the company was ready to use its analytical capabilities to support the ministry’s efforts to understand employment trends and identify priority sectors, helping develop a flexible labor market capable of responding to future challenges and opportunities.
