Our education ministries have big plans for the new year: The Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry aim to continue transforming Egypt’s education system into a private sector-friendly and investment-friendly ecosystem. Their roadmap for 2025 includes expanding universities, enhancing basic education infrastructure, and boosting Egypt’s appeal as an education destination for international students.

HIGHER EDUCATION IS IN EXPANSION MODE-

Our universities came out of 2024 looking pretty good: The number of Egyptian universities included in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings — one of the three authoritative global ranking systems — climbed to 47 in 2024, up from 38 the year before. The total number of higher education institutions has grown to 250, including public, private, national, and international universities.

In 2025, it’s all about expanding capacity: The ministry aims to further expand the number of universities in part by adding more national universities, with an eye toward ensuring the equitable geographic distribution of educational institutions. The goal is to increase enrollment, provide high-quality education aligned with international standards, and meet student needs in various regions.

Global partnerships and foreign campuses are on the rise: The ministry also plans to expand collaboration with top international institutions, fostering cross-border education and positioning Egypt as a regional hub for transnational higher education.

Technology universities are also in the pipeline: The ministry has already broken ground on 17 new technology universities, according to local reports, with hopes to set up a technological university in each governorate by 2030. The aim is to train graduates in industrial and technical fields that are aligned with market needs, and boost collaboration between academia and industry.

Incentives for private players: The Higher Education Ministry is working on policies to attract private-sector investment by creating a supportive environment, providing necessary infrastructure, and offering incentives — like golden licenses.

A comprehensive digital transformation plan for Egyptian universities: The Higher Education Ministry plans to continue working on the digital transformation of higher education and implementing a comprehensive strategy for digitizing universities. This aligns with the seven principles of the national higher education and scientific research strategy.

Key pillars of the plan include building and developing a centralized digital infrastructure, enhancing the skills of a new generation of graduates, and creating smart, efficient higher education institutions. The ministry will also continue its Digitally Secure Higher Education initiative, which trains staff in technology, provides an interactive e-learning environment, and offers free cloud computing services for faculty members and researchers.

Ramping up efforts to attract international students: The ministry plans to double down on attracting international students to study at Egyptian universities, with the government aiming to see 200k international students enrolled in Egyptian universities in 2030. There are also plans to coordinate with Egyptian cultural and educational offices abroad, and enhance the global standing of Egypt’s educational and research institutions.

This would provide us with a much-needed source of FX: If the government reaches its goal, it could mean up to USD 2 bn in education tourism revenues.

The ministry will also simplify application processes via the Study in Egypt portal and reinforce efforts to position Egypt as a leading educational destination in Africa and the Middle East.

Cairo University’s recent uptick in int’l student enrollment is a case in point: The total number of new international students across all academic stages at Cairo University reached some 30.5k in 2024, compared to 24.5k in the previous year — marking a nearly 20% increase, according to the university’s website.

From classrooms to boardrooms: The ministry is prioritizing innovation and entrepreneurship by turning research outputs into economically valuable products. This is being achieved through initiatives led by affiliated entities such as the Science and Technology Development Fund, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, and the Innovators Support Fund.

PLUS- Foundation year launches in 2025: Private and national universities are rolling out a foundation year program that will allow students who didn’t meet entry requirements for their desired faculties to take an introductory foundation year to prepare them for undertaking an undergraduate degree.

PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN NEED OF SOLUTIONS-

Basic education still faces major hurdles despite progress in higher education: While significant support to Egypt’s higher education sector has borne significant fruit in recent years, basic education still needs substantial reforms to meet growing demand. One of 2025’s key priorities is to improve basic education through increased private sector participation, building more classrooms, and hiring more teachers.

The need is there: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly last year noted that Egypt needs to build 40-50k new classrooms annually — each costing around EGP 1 mn — to accommodate a rising number of students. This translates into a budgetary requirement of EGP 50 bn annually.

Private sector involvement is critical to solving overcrowding: Granting private players more opportunities and incentives, particularly related to land allocation, is essential to addressing classroom overcrowding, deputy chairman of the Private School Owners Association Badawy Allam previously told EnterpriseAM. He also emphasized the importance of flexibility in applying minimum wage requirements, providing low-cost financing, and addressing outstanding legislative issues, which remain key discussion points for 2025.

Teacher shortages persist: Egypt’s basic education sector faces an acute shortage ofteachers, with a gap of almost 470k educators nationwide. The issue has become more pressing as the government has added 98k new classrooms to accommodate growing numbers of students.

Japanese and technological schools see growth: The number of Japanese schools in Egypt reached 58 by the end of last year, with plans to expand this to 1.7k by the end of fiscal year 2026-27. Meanwhile, technological schools have increased to 79 across 22 governorates, with the government targeting 420 schools by 2030.

AND- Arabic and history to be added to international school grading next academic year: The Education Ministry last year announced that it would include grades from Arabic, religious studies, history, and social studies to students’ end-of-year grades starting next academic year at international schools. A government source told EnterpriseAM that there would be no reversal of the decision, though the ministry is open to simplifying the content during the initial rollout.

Your top education stories for the week:

  • Badr University in Assiut has issued its first standalone future flow securitization worth EGP 500 mn, with EFG Hermes advising on the transaction. The bonds are backed by future revenues from the CIRA Education-owned university, according to a company statement. (Statement)
  • The Higher Education Ministry has been cracking down on unlicensed education establishments, with the Oxford Academy for Consulting and Specialized Studies in Fayoum being its latest target for falsely offering accredited degrees and training programs in fields such as media, healthcare, and business administration. (Statement)
  • Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif is in Qatar for the Conference of Arab Education Ministers, held from January 5–7, where he will showcase Egypt’s education reforms, including efforts to expand access, support teachers, and share strategies for crisis-resilient education. (Statement)
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