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Minister of Communications and Information Technology Honors NilePreneurs – The United Bank with Recognition Shield

10/06/2025

Web News 1062025

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Honors NilePreneurs – The United Bank with Recognition Shield
Ashraf El Kady – Chief Executive Officer, The United Bank
 * Egypt ranks first in Africa and tenth globally according to the Global Entrepreneurship Index (NECI) issued by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2022.
 * Investing in Egyptian people and empowering entrepreneurs is a national project for the future.
 * Our goal is to empower youth and women in productive and service projects to maximize comprehensive development rates.
 * Developing supply and value chains is essential for the quality of local products and increasing Egyptian exports.
Nivine Kashmery – Deputy Managing Director and Head of Business Sector, The United Bank
 * 4 outcomes of NilePreneurs initiative cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
 * UB offers specialized banking and technical service packages for entrepreneurs.
 * Two NilePreneurs incubation centres serve the Delta and Upper Egypt regions.
Cairo: June 10, 2025
In a move to strengthen successful social and developmental partnerships, Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, presented a shield of recognition to the "NilePreneurs" initiative sector of The United Bank, affiliated with The Central Bank of Egypt, within the "Qudwa-Tech" program.
The event was attended by Dr. Hoda Dahroug, Advisor to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Gamar Deeb, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, and a large number of leaders from the Ministry of Communications.
On the sidelines of the honoring ceremony, The United Bank presented a harvest report of the "NilePreneurs" initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology over nine months, from mid-2024 to the end of March 2025. The report showed that 1,146 citizens benefited from support services in several governorates across Egypt.
The report highlighted four main outcomes of the exceptional efforts between UB and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in supporting entrepreneurs and start-ups, as well as developing the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector, especially in manufacturing, agriculture, and digital transformation, across five main axes:
Axis One: Financial Inclusion and Digital Transformation
Seven awareness seminars were organized to raise awareness about the importance of financial inclusion. These targeted various groups of entrepreneurs, youth, and people of determination, with sign language translation provided. Also included were women with handicraft and micro-projects, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 646 citizens.
Axis Two: Supporting Startups and Empowering Entrepreneurship
Thirty workshops and training events were conducted to support nascent projects, in addition to providing mentoring and guidance sessions for women with micro-projects, both in-person and via remote training. This included university students, graduates, and people of determination across several governorates, with 500 trainees benefiting. This also included female trainees enrolled in the "Qudwa-Tech" program of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which supports women with handicraft and micro-projects.
Axis Three: Non-Financial Services - Marketing and Promotion
This involved promoting UB's distinctive products through various digital platforms and field events. Additionally, 27 NilePreneurs seminars were held with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and a number of new accounts, debit cards, and digital services were issued.
Axis Five: Empowering Women, Youth, and People of Determination
The efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, specifically the Digital Community Development Sector, in cooperation with the NilePreneurs program of Union National Bank, contributed to empowering a large number of women and university students to establish small, micro, and digital projects. This was achieved by providing banking financial support and technical guidance support.
In a special comment, Ashraf El Kady, CEO, The United Bank, stated that Egypt ranks first in Africa and tenth globally in entrepreneurship, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Index (NECI) issued by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor in 2022. He considered this a testament to the successful joint efforts between the government and the banking sector in creating a supportive business environment for entrepreneurs, starting from regulatory legislation, through state and The Central Bank of Egypt initiatives, to specialized banking services.
He added that UB is one of the first banks to participate in the "NilePreneurs" initiative, affiliated with The Central Bank of Egypt in cooperation with Nile University, since its launch in 2019. The aim is to create an incubating environment for entrepreneurship and innovation and to empower youth, especially women and people of determination, through effective institutional support for the growth of small, medium, and micro-enterprises, as they are considered one of the main drivers of the national economy.
This stems from a belief in the pivotal role played by national banks in supporting the national economy, especially in empowering entrepreneurs, youth, and women. Investing in the Egyptian people and empowering entrepreneurs is a national project to build a better future, which will have a sustainable impact on the ground.
El Kady explained that the NilePreneurs initiative is a unique model that combines multiple partnerships represented by The Central Bank of Egypt, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, academic knowledge, and practical application to serve the national economy and enhance the culture of local production.
Nivine Kashmery, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Business Sectors at The United Bank, indicated that UB is keen to expand the financial and technical services of the NilePreneurs initiative as part of its strategy to support financial inclusion and promote innovation and digital transformation.
This is achieved by offering innovative and specialized packages to entrepreneurs and startups, such as: services facilitating the issuance of licenses for projects to help integrate the informal economy into the formal economic system; networking services between entrepreneurs, startups, supply chains, and investors; and facilitating access for entrepreneurs to necessary and appropriate bank financing for their project activities. The aim is to develop the capabilities of these projects and ensure their sustainable development, which reflects on success rates and thus serves the overall Egyptian economy.
Nivine Kashmery clarified that UB's business incubation services are available at two "NilePreneurs" centers covering the Delta and Upper Egypt regions. In addition, there are 68 outlets within UB branches across the Republic. These aim to provide a range of technical, banking, and technological programs specifically designed to support, develop, and ensure the success of startups in accordance with best international practices and scientific foundations for supporting these projects. This also includes participation in numerous media and awareness campaigns launched by The United Bank under the slogan "Start with Us," in parallel with the presidential initiative "Hayah Karima" (Decent Life), which aims to develop and qualify the Egyptian individual for the future.