At Start Summit 2026, Dina Abdel Fattah calls youth Egypt’s most important investment

Standing before hundreds of students and young professionals at Start Summit 2026 on Friday, Dina Abdel Fattah delivered a message that has become increasingly urgent in an era of artificial intelligence, automation, and economic uncertainty: the most valuable investment is no longer a job title or a university degree, but the ability to keep learning.

“Youth are the real investment, and building the future begins with developing capabilities and skills,” Abdel Fattah, founder and chair of the Top 50 Women Forum, said, describing young people as the driving force behind sustainable growth and economic transformation.

Her remarks reflected a growing reality facing young people around the world. As technology reshapes industries and employers rethink the skills they need, workers are under increasing pressure to adapt, acquire new expertise and prepare for careers that may look very different from those envisioned only a few years ago.

For Egypt, where millions of young people enter the labour market each year, the challenge is particularly significant. Abdel Fattah argued that the country’s greatest resource is not simply its large youth population, but its ability to equip that generation with the tools needed to navigate a rapidly changing economy.

“Building the future begins with developing capabilities and skills,” she said.

Addressing students, recent graduates, and aspiring entrepreneurs, Abdel Fattah said professional success can no longer be measured solely by academic achievement. Instead, she said, it increasingly depends on adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace change.

She encouraged young people to understand global economic trends, stay informed about developments in their industries, and use technology not merely as consumers but as problem-solvers.

Some jobs, she warned, are likely to disappear altogether.

“There are jobs that will vanish in the coming phase,” she said, adding that analytical thinking and the ability to understand broader economic and technological shifts would become increasingly valuable.

Abdel Fattah also offered a practical assessment of what employers seek in workers. Companies, she said, tend to retain employees who create measurable value, help improve efficiency, and contribute to long-term growth.

“Without these three elements, it will be difficult to remain and compete in the labour market,” she said.

Throughout her speech, she returned to a central theme: self-investment. Learning new skills, expanding professional networks, and gaining practical experience, she said, often matter as much as formal qualifications.

That philosophy has shaped the work of the Top 50 Women Forum, which Abdel Fattah said has spent years connecting young Egyptians with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives across industries ranging from banking and manufacturing to technology.

The forum’s work, Dina said, is rooted in a belief that “the real investment is investment in people” and that Egypt’s youth possess significant untapped potential that needs the right opportunity to be transformed into tangible achievement.

She said many of those leaders, hosted by the forum over the years, did not begin their careers in positions of influence.

Instead, they advanced gradually, learning from mistakes, adapting to setbacks, and building experience over time.

The lesson, she said, is that success rarely arrives all at once.

“Success belongs to those willing to take the first step without waiting for perfect conditions,” Abdel Fattah said.

As the summit continued, attendees moved between workshops, networking sessions, and discussions with employers. Abdel Fattah urged them to take advantage of every opportunity available.

“One opportunity, one meeting, or even one sincere piece of advice can completely change a person’s professional and personal path,” Top 50 Women Forum Founder said.

Closing her remarks, she offered a final message of optimism, arguing that Egypt’s future will depend on the ambitions and determination of its young people.

“The future is not something to wait for. It is something to make through hard work, determination, and persistence.” Abdel Fattah said.