2025 was a challenging year for Egypt. It was shaped by regional instability and severe fiscal constraints, and many continued to struggle in accessing services to meet their basic needs and opportunities to fulfill their potential. 

Yet, what we witnessed through our work with our partners is that, if we invest in people and communities, and empower even the most vulnerable and marginalized with resources, skills, and an enabling environment, they can become active contributors to society.  What we have also been able to demonstrate is that it is possible to protect the environment while creating economic opportunities, and that the private sector has a critical role in accelerating green transitions.  

This belief is reflected in our work on the ground.

Together with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, we supported the economic empowerment of Takaful and Karama beneficiaries through the establishment of 869 income-generating micro-projects, facilitating their transition from social protection to production through access to soft loans and tailored technical support, enabling sustainable income generation.

In 2025, our Global Fund HIV/TB programmes reached over 14,000 people, achieving a 98% treatment linkage rate, while refugees and migrants benefited from expanded TB diagnosis and linkages to care services.

This year we also launched Egypt’s Refugee and Resilience Response Plan with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNHCR — providing strategic guidance and cross-sector coordination to address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and host communities.

Through our partnership with the Ministry of Justice and under the Netherlands-funded Global Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, in addition to the existing 27 legal aid offices and 27 dispute settlement offices, this year we established a Legal Aid Office in the New Administrative Capital — a model for rights-based, integrated legal assistance, including for foreigners and refugees.

We also deepened our work on local development. Building on more than a decade of cooperation with the Ministry of Local Development - and revitalized with European Union funding - we continued our support to modernize local administration and advance a more decentralized, local governance systems. In Fayoum, Beni Suef, Luxor, and Aswan governorates, we worked on the development of Local Economic Development Strategies which translate national priorities, including Hayah Kareema, into real opportunities on the ground. 

We also kick-started the project 'Reviving the Dendera Area: Supporting Sustainable Rural and Cultural Tourism for Local Economic Development in Qena’, with the signing of the agreement with UN Habitat at Dendara Temple on the occasion of UN80 celebrations. By linking Egypt’s rich cultural heritage with local economic opportunities, the project aims to create an integrated and inclusive model for sustainable impact on livelihoods, particularly for women and youth.

At the same time, Egypt continued to strengthen its climate adaptation measures. In Egypt’s Delta, with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and the Government of Japan, we supported women farmers to adopt climate-smart agriculture, helping them gain new skills, improve productivity, and strengthen resilience to climate shocks.

Building on the successful nature-based solution for coastal zone protection, we are developing Egypt’s climate-resilient Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and Ministry of Environment, and with Green Climate Fund support. Implementation of the ICZM started in the governorate of Damietta, showcasing strong cooperation across government institutions.

We also continued our partnership with the Ministry of Environment and the Governorate of South Sinai to ‘green' Sharm El-Sheikh, with ten new hotels adopting rooftop solar power systems that received  technical and financial assistance from the Global Environment Fund (GEF) supported project. Total solar capacity in Sharm has reached 50 megawatts— ten times more than in 2022.  This has further reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 4,050 tons annually.

We also strengthened biodiversity financing and community livelihoods. At the national level, we supported the launch of Egypt’s National Biodiversity Financing Plan  providing key tools to guide evidence-based decision-making through the BIOFIN project. With the Ministry of Environment, we launched the investment plan for the Nabq Protected Area, opening new opportunities for public–private partnerships that support conservation by creating sustainable economic value.  We also launched the Sharm El Sheikh Sustainable Development Strategy under the Green Sharm Project which sets a roadmap to sustain and scale Green Sharm achievements, guiding sustainable tourism, biodiversity protection and community engagement.  And in South Sinai, we trained over 400 women living in and around protected areas in the production, packaging, and marketing of handmade products — helping sustain livelihoods while protecting nature.

We also continued efforts to strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) competitiveness and accelerate digital transformation with a focus on AI. Through our support to the MSME Development Agency, nearly 120,000 new jobs were created and over 31,280 MSME projects were financed, with women representing almost half of the beneficiaries.

In parallel, we strengthened inclusive economic growth and innovation. Entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems expanded significantly through the Creativa Innovation Hubs. Over 36,600 young people received training and 227 startups were supported, collectively attracting 44 million dollars in investment. Digital and AI initiatives further strengthened Egypt’s regional positioning, expanded inclusive economic opportunities, and promoted responsible technology adoption.
 
Young people are drivers of green growth. Through our Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator Project funded by Denmark, young innovators secured 11.5 million dollars in investment for nine green SMEs, and we celebrated the graduation of nearly 80 green businesses from the programme. At the same time, through the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Initiative (DEDI), we deepened youth engagement in climate action, innovation, and dialogue. DEDI brings together Egyptian and Danish youth, experts, and institutions to co-create sustainable solutions, strengthen environmental awareness, and advance youth leadership in climate, peace, and security — translating ideas into green jobs, innovation, and lasting partnerships aligned with Egypt’s Vision 2030.

Sustaining these results requires sustained financing.  Following the launch of Egypt’s Integrated National Financing Strategy with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, UNDP is helping to leverage financing across multiple sectors.  We initiated the design of the “Industrial Empowerment through Solar Enhancement” Project with the Italian Climate Fund, and the development of a blended-finance instrument that attracts private investment to protect the Red Sea’s coral reefs under Egypt Red Sea Initiative (ERSI). 

We are also proud to be supporting the Ministry of Finance in aligning tax policies with the Sustainable Development Goals through our Tax for SDGs initiative and exploring ways to enhance domestic resources mobilization.  The technical groundwork was also built in 2025 to launch insurance schemes covering initially four agricultural products in early 2026. A first in Egypt.   

Furthermore, in the area of national capacities strengthening on results-based management (RBM), we provided training on the national Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Manual to 18 ministries and government entities, and established the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Diploma programme in collaboration with the Institute for National Planning.  

As we close 2025, we extend our  gratitude to all our partners across government, the UN family, civil society, academia, IFIs, the private sector, and our development partners. Thank you for your trust, collaboration, and commitment.

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful holiday season and look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026, advancing Egypt’s development for its people and for the planet we all share.

Warmest Regards, 
UNDP Egypt