On the sidelines of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group in Algiers, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, convened key bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening Egypt’s engagement with global development partners. Among her meetings were high-level talks with Kevin Frey, CEO of the United Nations’ Generation Unlimited (GenU) initiative, and Julia Nelson, Deputy Director for Trade and Agriculture at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Accelerating Egypt’s “Shabab Balad” Youth Platform
Dr. Al-Mashat met with Kevin Frey to review progress on the Egyptian edition of the Generation Unlimited initiative—branded locally as “Shabab Balad” (Youth of the Nation). The partnership, launched as part of Egypt’s national youth empowerment agenda, aims to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities necessary for employment and entrepreneurship.
A central component of this effort is the forthcoming “Shabab Balad Academy”, designed to serve as a hub for skill development and job readiness. The Academy will focus on Egypt’s youth policy, linking young people with employment through targeted upskilling programs and innovative learning pathways.
The two sides discussed scaling up collaboration across training programs, digital platforms, and employer partnerships to maximize the initiative’s impact nationwide.
Deepening Cooperation with the OECD
Separately, Dr. Al-Mashat met with Julia Nelson of the OECD to assess the strategic partnership underpinning Egypt’s Country Program with the organization, launched in 2021. The program comprises 35 projects across five thematic pillars: inclusive economic growth, innovation, governance, statistics, and sustainable development—aligned with Egypt Vision 2030 and the national structural reform agenda.
Dr. Al-Mashat underscored that the OECD partnership has become a strategic policy instrument, enabling Egypt to advance institutional reforms and benefit from peer learning and global best practices.
One key area of focus is trade integration and value chain participation. Egypt is actively engaged in the OECD’s “Trade in Value Added (TiVA)” initiative, aiming to enhance its positioning in regional and global value chains. Through this platform, Egypt also seeks to foster knowledge exchange with African partners to strengthen regional economic integration.
