Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly emphasized that the “Egypt Forum 2026” will be dedicated to the citizen, quoting the President that the citizen is the “hero of the story,” and noting that the Egyptian citizen is the one who bore with the state the full burden of economic reform, structural reforms, difficult conditions, and the unprecedented challenges the country has witnessed over the past fifteen years.
This came during the speech delivered by Madbouly at the opening session of the “Egypt Forum 2026,” held under the slogan “A Look at Today… A Vision for Tomorrow,” in the presence of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
At the beginning of his address, the prime minister welcomed the attendees and expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for directing the government to convene this forum.
He highlighted that it brings together various segments of Egyptian society and stakeholders in Egyptian affairs, including cabinet ministers, governors, heads of affiliated authorities and agencies, as well as representatives of civil society organizations, experts, thinkers, specialists across numerous fields, public figures, politicians, opposition members, and citizens from all walks of life.
The Prime Minister pointed out that this forum aims to engage in a serious and constructive dialogue regarding the reality and future of our beloved homeland, Egypt.
He explained that the forum presents an opportunity to review what has been accomplished across numerous sectors and fields over the course of a 12-year journey of construction and development, amidst unprecedented conditions and challenges that faced Egypt and which the world has experienced and continues to face.
The Prime Minister noted that the forum is not solely intended to display achievements made within the framework of this development journey achievements of which much has been accomplished and will be presented across the forum’s various sessions.
Rather, he explained that the presentation will take place within a framework of listening and responding to the concerns, criticisms, and proposals of society and citizens, stating: “The forum is not a one-way dialogue, but rather a two-way dialogue.”
Consequently, the government will not speak alone while citizens merely listen; instead, the opposite is true: “The citizen speaks as well, and the government listens.”
He noted in this regard that this principle was reflected in determining the themes and sessions of this forum, adding: “The government did not set these themes and sessions on its own; rather, a scientific methodology was applied to identify the concerns and priorities of citizens.”
Madbouly explained that during the 15 days following President Sisi’s call to hold this forum, public opinion surveys were conducted involving citizens, youth, investors, and private sector representatives.
These surveys addressed their vision regarding the most pressing issues, their needs, and their level of satisfaction with the services provided to them by the Egyptian state.
The Prime Minister noted that listening sessions for citizens were also held at the National Training Academy (NTA), in which more than 450 citizens participated and presented around 150 ideas and proposals.
This took place alongside active engagement from Egyptian universities and think tanks, as over 4,000 academics, researchers, and experts participated in 30 preparatory sessions held across 28 Egyptian universities including prestigious institutions such as Cairo, Ain Shams, and Alexandria Universities, alongside capital, national, and private universities.
Furthermore, around 13 preparatory sessions were organized with the participation of nearly 16 think tanks, represented by various public figures and intellectuals, inside the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) at the Cabinet headquarters.
Following these steps came the most crucial measure: launching the forum’s official website.
Madbouly explained that when the website was launched, there were apprehensions regarding the level of engagement.
However, he noted that up to this moment, the site has recorded 17 million views, and over 61,000 individuals have registered, submitting more than 16,000 ideas and proposals. Most importantly, 50% of the participants and registered users on the platform belong to the 18–35 age bracket meaning we are talking about our youth—including more than 5,000 students, some of whom are school students.
He pointed out that this interaction resulted in gathering more than 42 pressing public opinion questions, currently displayed on the hall’s screen, reflecting significant diversity.
He emphasized that this forum will serve as an opportunity for ministers and officials, alongside presenting what has been accomplished in the Egyptian state, to address the questions being raised, such as: Why did you build the New Capital? Was the scale of road and bridge projects a necessity, or should the focus have been on health and education? What is the future vision for the Egyptian economy after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program phase? How will the state move to face external and regional challenges facing Egypt? What steps will the state take regarding the debt portfolio? All these questions will find answers during the forum’s sessions.
Madbouly affirmed that “Egypt Forum 2026” represents a vital opportunity to review the state’s efforts and achievements across various sectors and to answer all citizen inquiries with complete frankness and transparency without withholding any information.
This reflects the state’s keenness to keep citizens informed of the facts and to clarify the outcomes of the policies and measures taken, as well as their real-world impact.
The Prime Minister explained that the forum aims to review different experiences and achievements while also discussing the challenges or setbacks encountered along certain paths, in light of emerging circumstances and variables that sometimes necessitated re-evaluating certain directions and courses.
He stressed the importance of evaluating the experience objectively, recognizing what has been achieved so far, assessing what the situation might have become had necessary measures not been taken, and ultimately establishing work priorities for the coming phase.
Madbouly indicated that the upcoming phase, extending through 2030, requires transitioning from presenting general visions and ambitions to setting clear targets and precise executive plans, focusing on what will be accomplished over the next three years and clarifying the scheduled measures to achieve these targets, thereby allowing for precise performance evaluation and monitoring of implementation rates.
In a related context, the prime minister explained that the results of monitoring citizens’ opinions and proposals showed that five main issues topped the concerns of nearly 70% of participants: education, prices and controlling inflation, improving healthcare services, wages and pensions, and maintaining security and stability.
He added that citizen proposals also reflected interest in several other files, including education, culture and media, strengthening Egyptian national identity, the labor market, youth and sports, and information and communications technology (ICT), stressing that youth represent a fundamental pillar for the nation’s future, which was reflected in drafting the forum’s themes and selecting topics for discussion.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the forum’s events, continuing over the coming days, will address a major theme each day to allow for a comprehensive discussion of priority issues, review achieved results, identify existing challenges, and present the state’s targets and plans to address them in the coming period.
Madbouly explained that the first day of the forum discusses the theme “Human Building” through three plenary sessions alongside parallel workshops, tackling issues of education, youth and innovation, culture, and the social values system.
He noted that discussions under this theme aim to answer a key question regarding how to build upon the progress made in educational facilities and services, expanding opportunities for education, empowerment, and participation, ultimately improving the quality of educational outcomes and building the Egyptian individual who is capable of continuous learning and innovation, thereby enhancing their ability to actively participate in development efforts.
The Prime Minister added that the second day addresses the theme “Integrated Development and Quality of Life for Citizens” through three main plenary sessions, discussing urban development, citizen health, Digital Egypt, and the digital transformation of government services.
He stressed that discussions under this theme aim to explore ways to maximize the benefit from national projects implemented by the state and enhance their direct impact on improving citizens’ quality of life, alongside developing and increasing the efficiency of government services and facilitating citizen access to them through expanded digital transformation applications, contributing to higher service standards and achieving integrated development goals.
Madbouly then spoke about the third theme, represented by social protection and community security, which covers sessions on citizen security, the social protection system, food and water security, current challenges, and the future vision. It addresses how to strengthen the protection of citizens from economic and social pressures.
At the same time, he noted that the fourth theme covers the economic aspect through plenary sessions such as: investment, industry, and sustainable job opportunities; features of the national economic transformation program (the “post-IMF program”); and a report to public opinion on how to double our foreign currency resources and manage the debt portfolio, moving on to the energy sector, over which the world is currently witnessing wars and conflicts.
The Prime Minister stated that discussions on this matter will focus on how to transition from economic stability to more productive and competitive growth, led by private sector investment, to positively reflect on employment, income, and living standards.
He added: “We have dedicated Friday to the citizen to speak directly about the issues concerning public opinion, such as prices, reconciliation in building violations, as well as urban greening, regulating the real estate market, concerns of Egyptians abroad, in addition to any public issues that have drawn attention for a period, including stray dogs.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that the goal is not merely to issue outputs and recommendations from the forum, but rather to establish national priorities that everyone works toward, reaching actionable and trackable solutions with clear responsibilities, where each entity will be accountable for implementing its part, supported by measurement indicators to establish an executive work program for the Egyptian state over the next four years until 2030.
These are the goals aimed for from this forum in order to achieve a larger objective: working to improve living conditions in accordance with current circumstances and realities.
In conclusion, the Prime Minister quoted a thinker, stating: “Building any nation is a long and arduous marathon in which those seeking quick glory do not succeed; the progress of any state does not depend on those who make promises, but on pure and sincere effort exerted by every citizen of this nation.”
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