Dr. Amany Eissa Joins AI and Inclusion Roundtable at Techne Summit

Dr. Amany Eissa, Founding Member at Egypt University of Informatics, Founding Director of the Innovation Center, and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Computing and Information Sciences, took part in a roundtable on AI and Inclusion in the MENA Region, held at the Techne Summit. The roundtable was organized by Meta and the MENA Observatory on Responsible AI, the flagship project of the Access to Knowledge for Development Center (A2K4D) at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business, the American University in Cairo. It was moderated by Dr. Nagla Rizk, Professor of Economics and Founding Director of A2K4D.

The discussion explored how AI can contribute to more inclusive and responsible development across the region, focusing on three key areas: inclusive access and skills, open and sovereign AI, and emerging AI regulation. Dr. Eissa joined policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers, technology experts, and civil society representatives to exchange perspectives on empowering communities and businesses, supporting homegrown innovation, and shaping AI governance that is inclusive, adaptive, and responsive to the region's needs.

The roundtable also brought together Ms. Amira Saber Qandil, Member of the Egyptian Senate; Mr. Anwar Aly, Founder and CEO of Zaher AI; Dr. Ashraf Abdelwahab, AI and Digital Transformation Consultant; Ms. Dina Sallam, Head of Data, AI, and CVM at Orange Egypt and representative of Women in AI Egypt; Mr. Galal Elbeshbishy, Co-founder and COO of Synapse Analytics; Dr. Gehad Fadl, Founder and CEO of StomaCare AI; Mr. Mehdi Taher, Head of Public Policy, North Africa at Meta; Mr. Mohamed Elnawawy, Lawyer at Partners.Law; Prof. Dr. Mona Farid Badran, Professor of Digital Economy and AI at FEPS, Cairo University; Dr. Mostafa Amin, AI and Platform Product Manager at Rology; and Ms. Suzanne El Akabaoui, Acting CEO of the Personal Data Protection Center and Advisor to the ICT Minister on Data Governance.

The organizers thanked all attendees for contributing their insights, experiences, and perspectives to this important conversation on building a more inclusive and responsible AI future for the MENA region.