Egypt to Launch Incubator for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

In a move to support and empower entrepreneurs from marginalised backgrounds, the Egyptian Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, represented by the Rowad 2030 Project and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, is launching an incubator specifically for people with disabilities. This pioneering initiative is one of the first in the region to be dedicated wholly to entrepreneurs with disabilities.  

At the core of Egypt’s Vision 2030 is promoting inclusivity and leveling the playing ground for underserved communities by expanding the scope of the social protection umbrella. This new incubator is part of the country’s efforts to integrate people with disabilities into society through economic participation. The selected entrepreneurs will have the chance to develop their innovative ideas that tackle the challenges faced by people with disabilities in Egypt and subsequently build up their own startups. The Arab Academy will structure the incubator’s integrated program to provide advisory, guidance and direction to the entrepreneurs to help them develop their prototypes and technological applications into viable and scalable companies.

In addition to the incubator, the cooperation with the Arab Academy will also result in new programs to raise awareness of entrepreneurship, competitions and hackathons specifically designed for people with disabilities. Recently, the academy launched several initiatives in support of people with disabilities including the Second International Conference for Persons with Disabilities and the EU-funded PACES project that saw 12 international, regional and local universities come together to exchange knowledge and experience relating to disabilities.