New Youth Skills Academy Links Education to Jobs in Egypt

Shabab Balad Academy opens national headquarters in Cairo to help young Egyptians turn skills into sustainable livelihoods

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new national youth skills academy opened in Cairo to help young Egyptians move from education into work by aligning learning with labor market needs, supporting long-term efforts to strengthen youth employability and economic participation in Egypt.

The Shabab Balad Academy, launched by the Government of Egypt in partnership with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) and UNICEF (Generation Unlimited) Egypt, is a core pillar of the national Shabab Balad initiative, implemented under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This is the first academy of its kind, delivering learning-to-earning pathways, with planned expansion to Alexandria and Aswan.

Designed as a platform that connects skills development to employment, entrepreneurship, and future-oriented livelihoods, the Academy brings together digital, vocational, green, and entrepreneurial pathways under one integrated model. Programs are informed by labor market data and developed with the participation of young people, employers, and public sector partners to ensure relevance, adaptability, and long-term impact. The initiative aligns with Egypt Vision 2030 and national priorities to strengthen human capital and inclusive growth.

His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, inaugurated the Academy alongside senior Egyptian officials, including Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, and Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, as well as representatives of the United Nations.

“Egypt’s people have always been its foundation, and investing in the skills of its youth is essential to future growth,” H.E. Al Ghurair said. “When young people gain skills that connect to real pathways for work and enterprise, they are able to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute to long-term national growth.”

He said the Academy reflects a growing alignment around systems that turn learning into meaningful employment. “Enduring impact is created when national leadership, and institutions come together to invest in people in ways that are practical, scalable, and focused on outcomes,” he said.
The launch marks a new phase in the AGF’s engagement in Egypt, informed by nearly a decade of experience supporting education and skills development across the Arab region. The Foundation’s approach focuses on strengthening education-to-employment systems through long-term partnerships and evidence-based design.

Within this framework, the Foundation’s commitment to education and skills development in Egypt now exceeds 1.5 billion Egyptian pounds, supporting young people to build skills, opportunity, and economic participation. This enables programs such as the Shabab Balad Academy to operate at national scale, with an expected reach of nearly 200,000 young people in its initial phase.

“Shabab Balad is about turning potential into progress. By equipping young people with relevant skills and connecting them to opportunity, we are building a resilient workforce that can drive inclusive growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and support Egypt’s long-term economic development transformation. The Shabab Balad Academy serves as a national platform that brings these pathways together, linking skills development, mentorship, and employment opportunities in one integrated ecosystem. I am proud to co-chair this initiative with the UN Resident Coordinator and to serve on the Generation Unlimited Global Board, helping translate national ambition into real opportunities for young people across Egypt,” said H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation.

H.E. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, said: “the inauguration of the Shabab Balad Academy headquarters represents a pivotal step in Egypt’s path toward building an integrated national system for youth empowerment, and linking education and training with labor market needs, in line with the political leadership’s directives to place young people at the heart of development priorities. He affirmed that the launching of the cooperation with the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation reflects international confidence in the Egyptian experience and supports plans to expand the Academy’s branches across governorates, in addition to launching a digital platform for learning and employment. This will help ensure access to opportunities for young people nationwide and transform youth centers into dynamic spaces for learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

“Today, we are not simply inaugurating a new facility. We are unlocking possibility. This marks a powerful milestone in Egypt’s determination to ensure that every young person has the skills, confidence and support to build the future they deserve,” said Ms. Natalia Winder Rossi, UNICEF Representative in Egypt.

During the visit, H.E. Al Ghurair also participated in a fireside discussion hosted by AmCham Egypt and the MIT Kuo Sharper Center, engaging business leaders and philanthropists on the role of strategic philanthropy in strengthening economic resilience and human capital development.

Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, chief executive officer of AGF, said the Academy reflects a shift toward outcomes-driven investment in youth potential. “Too often, young people acquire skills without a clear bridge to opportunity,” she said. “We focus on closing that gap, by supporting practical, market-relevant pathways that help young Egyptians convert learning into stable work, income, and long-term agency over their futures.”

Notes to Editors
About the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation
Established in 2015, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) has redefined education philanthropy in the Arab region, empowering Emirati and Arab youth to access quality learning, meaningful employment, and opportunities for leadership. Together with the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund, AGF has reached more than 400,000 young people, building pathways that turn learning into opportunity and opportunity into lasting impact.
  

Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation/AGF
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AGF PR Team

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