• National large language model to power government services, education, and healthcare
• Over 350 AI firms and 100 investors attend summit in Cairo
• Move positions Egypt as a regional hub for AI development and digital economy

Egypt has launched a national artificial intelligence model dubbed Karnak, aiming to strengthen sovereign digital capabilities and embed AI across public services, as the country hosts the inaugural Ai Everything MEA summit in Cairo. The announcement was made on February 11, 2026, during the opening ceremony held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to a statement from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The Karnak model, described as one of the most advanced Arabic large language models, is designed as foundational infrastructure for locally built AI solutions across sectors including education, healthcare, legal services, and public administration. Officials also unveiled applications powered by the system, including an AI tutor for Arabic language and history, a legal assistant to help citizens navigate regulations, and medical tools for early detection of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and breast cancer.

Organizers said the summit, presented by GITEX and hosted by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, brought together more than 350 AI companies, startups, and public-sector leaders from over 30 countries. Egypt has positioned the event as part of a broader strategy to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence under its national digital transformation agenda first launched in 2019.

Beyond individual applications, the initiative reflects a push toward “sovereign AI,” in which countries develop domestic models tailored to local languages, data, and regulatory environments, rather than relying solely on foreign platforms. Officials said this approach could improve service delivery, strengthen data governance, and boost competitiveness in emerging digital industries. The summit also showcased sector-specific deployments, from call-centre analytics and translation engines to workforce training tools.

In recent years, Egypt has steadily expanded its artificial intelligence ambitions as part of its broader Digital Egypt agenda, launching a national AI strategy in 2019 that prioritises skills development, data governance, and sector-specific deployment, according to official policy documents from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The country has since invested in AI research centres, digital public services, and partnerships with global technology firms, while international organisations such as UNESCO and the International Telecommunication Union have repeatedly highlighted the shortage of high-quality Arabic digital content and language technologies, a gap that locally trained models aim to address.

Cynthia Ebot Takang