Foodics Eyes Egypt’s Digital Future with AI-Driven Business Intelligence Push

Belal Zahran, International Managing Director of Foodics for Egypt and the UAE, has been making the case that Egypt stands on the cusp of becoming a genuine digital powerhouse—provided the right investments are made in both technology and people. His comments came during the recent Entlaq Summit in El Gouna, where Foodics also released its annual entrepreneurship report.

Foodics, originally founded in Saudi Arabia, has steadily grown into something of a regional heavyweight. The company now operates direct offices in five key markets—Saudi, the Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait and Jordan—while its tech solutions are reportedly in use across 30 countries. That reach alone is telling; you don’t get that kind of footprint unless partners and clients actually trust your systems to shave off inefficiencies and keep their businesses afloat in a cut-throat industry.

Zahran spoke with obvious enthusiasm about Foodics BI, the firm’s new artificial-intelligence driven business intelligence platform. It helps restaurants and cafés dig into their data, spot patterns in customer behaviour and—crucially—make decisions that aren’t just gut instinct. I’ve seen many small businesses in the region struggle with numbers; having access to such tools could genuinely be a game-changer. That said, tech on its own doesn’t fix everything. It still needs smart execution, or, as we often say at Arageek, you can’t just buy innovation off the shelf.

What struck me most was Zahran’s point about Egypt as a wider digital landscape. With half the population under 25 and roughly 600,000 fresh graduates each year, the country does look like a “talent goldmine.” But here’s the rub: research and development spending is stuck at less than 0.5% of GDP. It’s a bit of a faff, really, because without a stronger push in R&D, much of that youthful energy risks being underutilised. I reckon this is where public and private collaborations could shift the dial—Egypt could climb the Global Innovation Index ladder far quicker than many expect.

On the flip side, building a national framework for R&D, as Zahran suggests, would take time and political will. But if done right, it could reposition Egypt as a hub for export-ready tech, drawing in capital rather than chasing it abroad. And believe it or not, a relatively modest spend increase in R&D could unleash a ripple effect across the startup ecosystem.

Zahran wrapped up by stressing that Foodics sees itself less as a software vendor and more as a strategic partner for entrepreneurs navigating digital transformation. In his words, technology is no longer a luxury but a necessity. I’m not a fan of buzzwords, but in this case he’s spot on—tech is now table stakes for survival, particularly in food and beverage where margins are thin.

At Arageek, we often meet founders who are chuffed to bits just to get access to tools that simplify the messy back-end of their operations. Hearing how Foodics wants to keep pushing integrated solutions into the Egyptian market felt aligned with that very energy. If the momentum continues, Egypt’s startups might not just catch up—they could, in time, leapfrog competitors in neighbouring markets.

The only question that lingers is whether the ecosystem can move fast enough to harness the “true treasure” of its young population. Because, well… I mean, talent alone won’t pay the bills without innovation to back it up. And that’s where companies like Foodics may play a pivotal role in nudging the market forward.

So yes, Egypt isn’t there yet. But the ingredients are definately in place for something rather special.

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