Cairo: Egypt on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, opened the third regional conference of the Regional Network in Energy for Women in the Middle East (RENEW MENA), held under the theme 'Accelerating Progress: Women at the Intersection of Energy, Digital Transformation and Jobs.' The event was attended by Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat and World Bank Country Director for Egypt, Yemen and Djibouti Stephane Guimbert. The conference runs through Thursday.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the conference is supported by the World Bank and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). RENEW MENA is a leading platform promoting women's participation, leadership, and entrepreneurship in the energy sector. The network brings together more than 60 partners from government, industry, and academia to advance gender equality through innovation and knowledge exchange.
Since its launch in June 2022, RENEW MENA has carried out around 836 activities, including STEM outreach, mentoring and internships, professional development, and national initiatives uniting governments, utilities, the private sector, and universities to boost women's roles across the energy value chain. The network has also focused on fragile and conflict-affected areas, highlighting the importance of local collaboration in building resilience and expanding opportunities for women.
Following earlier editions in Tunis (2023) and Amman (2024), this year's Cairo conference aims to build on that momentum. Discussions will examine how digitalization and emerging technologies can expand opportunities for women, support job creation and leadership, and strengthen skills needed for the region's energy transition.
The conference seeks to deepen cooperation, broaden partnerships, and drive innovation at the nexus of gender, energy, and digital technologies. It also aims to apply lessons from conflict-affected regions such as Syria, Yemen, and the West Bank and Gaza to enhance resilience. Delegates are expected to highlight scalable success stories and produce practical recommendations to advance women's inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa's energy and digital transitions.