The Egyptian capital, Cairo, hosted the Project Management Institute (PMI) MENA Leadership Institute Meeting from November 13 to 15. The meeting saw the participation of more than 40 leaders and representatives from the boards of six regional PMI chapters, alongside several board members and executive leaders at both global and regional levels.
The meeting discussed mechanisms for integrating regional chapters, building stronger professional communities, and preparing specialists for the changing requirements of the labor market. The week of accompanying events included meetings with authorized training partners and an academic panel discussion with the participation of about 15 Egyptian universities to discuss integrating project management concepts into education and updating curricula.
Talent Gap and Expected Demand in the Egyptian Market
Hany El-Shazly, Managing Director of PMI in the region, indicated that choosing Cairo as the host reflects Egypt's status and role in developing professional competencies. He explained that the institute's estimates suggest that Egypt may need up to 244,000 project management specialists by 2035, with an expected increase in demand of up to 45.1%.
Conversely, the institute warned that the supply and demand gap could reach about 87,000 specialists unless sufficient investments are directed toward developing the required skills, considering this gap a real opportunity for the younger generation and professionals if efforts are directed toward training and qualification.
Egypt's Global Standing in Professional Certifications
The Egyptian market enters this dialogue supported by the presence of about 33,800 active PMI professional certification holders, in addition to 10,700 members, placing it among the top 10 countries globally in terms of the number of institute certification holders. Egypt holds advanced global rankings in a number of specialized certifications, such as second place in the PMI-RMP and PMI-PMOCP certifications, third in the CSPP certification, and fourth in the PMI-CP.