CAIRO / ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT – June 2026
The Future Leaders Platform (FLP) successfully delivered its inaugural Egypt edition, bringing together students, educators, chefs, school directors, hospitality executives, tourism leaders and industry partners across Cairo and Alexandria to strengthen the country’s future hospitality and tourism talent pipeline.
Held from 22–24 June 2026 at the Hilton Ramses Cairo and the Hilton Alexandria King’s Ranch, the programme marked FLP’s expansion into Egypt and its continued commitment to building stronger connections among education, industry and future talent.
The Egypt edition was delivered through three initiatives of the Future Leaders Platform: the Crafts & Culture Challenge, the Future Leaders Challenge and the School Directors Alliance.
The launch comes at a time when Egypt’s tourism and hospitality sectors continue to evolve, creating growing opportunities for young professionals while highlighting the importance of workforce development, industry engagement and educational collaboration.
Crafts & Culture Challenge — Cairo
The programme opened on 22 June in Cairo with the Crafts & Culture Challenge Egypt at Hilton Ramses Cairo, where student teams explored Egyptian culinary heritage under the theme “A Taste of Home.”
Participants were challenged to design and present a two-course dining experience rooted in heritage, identity and innovation, while telling the stories behind Egypt’s ingredients, traditions and regional influences.
The winning team, Ziad Khaled Ali El-Sayed and Osama Sabry Ali Hassan from Alexandria University, was recognised for their concept “From the Nile to the Mediterranean,” a modern reimagining of Egyptian heritage that blended authentic flavours with ingredients such as dates, rice, oranges and pumpkin.
Future Leaders Challenge — Alexandria
Following the opening in Cairo, the programme continued on 23–24 June at Hilton Alexandria King’s Ranch with the Future Leaders Challenge Egypt. The two-day event combined student development, industry dialogue, recruitment engagement, networking, strategic board input and final presentations.
Student teams explored how Egypt can further evolve its tourism offering in response to changing traveller expectations, while building on its cultural strengths, local realities and long-term ambitions.
Concepts focused on emerging tourism trends, including authentic and immersive travel, cultural connection and meaningful visitor experiences. Teams were assessed by industry and academic leaders on innovation, feasibility, relevance and strategic thinking.
The winning team from Alexandria University included Ali Samir Abdelmohsen Mohamed Saad El Batikhy, Reem Ibrahim Mohamed Radwan Makhlouf, Martina Magdy Khair El-Sayed Abdelnoor and Sandra Nabil Fawzy Riyad Abdelnour.
Their concept was recognised for its forward-looking vision of Egyptian tourism, proposing a shift from traditional sightseeing toward participatory, culturally immersive experiences that deepen engagement with Egypt’s heritage, communities and local traditions, while generating greater value for both travellers and local stakeholders.
School Directors Alliance
Alongside the student challenge, the first School Directors Alliance Egypt meeting created space for education leaders and industry representatives to discuss how schools and hospitality businesses can work more closely on student pathways, industry exposure, placements, graduate conversion and alignment between education and the sector’s needs.
Steering Industry Relevance
The Future Leaders Challenge Egypt was guided by a Strategic Board of senior leaders from hospitality, education, and industry, helping to connect student work to real-sector priorities and ensuring that the ideas presented were assessed against both future ambition and practical industry relevance.
Strategic Board Members included Yves Giacometti, Regional Vice President and General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel; Dalia Amer, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Alexandria; Hubert Ummels, Owner and Founder, GameChangers Group and the Future Leaders Platform; Alessandro Redaelli, Vice President of Operations, North Africa & Levant, Hilton; Affaf Al-Oufy, Vice President, Alexandria University; and Ahmed Kira, Managing Director, Horof Group.
“Two key aspects stood out from the partnership between the Future Leaders Challenge and Radisson Hotel Group,” said Dalia Amer, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Alexandria. “The first is a shared commitment to developing talent, aligned with Radisson’s core belief that growing talent also helps organisations grow. The second is a mutual understanding that both organisations must remain dynamic, continuously evolving to enhance and advance the industry.”
“What we saw in Egypt confirms why this platform is needed,” said Hubert Ummels, Founder of the Future Leaders Platform and GameChangers Group. “Young people are ready to contribute ideas, educators want closer alignment with industry, and industry leaders recognise that talent development needs to be part of the future strategy for hospitality and tourism. The Future Leaders Platform is not about competitions alone. It is about creating connections, building communities, strengthening talent pipelines and helping countries develop sustainable workforce strategies that benefit both people and industry.”
By combining cultural heritage, student innovation, school leadership and industry collaboration, Future Leaders Platform Egypt establishes a foundation for continued collaboration around hospitality and tourism talent development in the country.
Connecting generations. Strengthening communities. Building the future of hospitality and tourism.
The inaugural Egypt edition was supported by strategic partners Hilton, GameChangers, Radisson Hotel Group, Four Seasons, MAMIBA, Diversey and PepsiCo, as well as supporting partners Azal Hospitality, Julius Meinl Coffee Group, Egyptian Chefs Association, MWR Studio and Brand Drvn.
About the Future Leaders Platform
The Future Leaders Platform is a global platform that connects education, industry, government, and future talent to address the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of hospitality and tourism. With initiatives and events across regions, including The Finals in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, Eastern Africa, UK & Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South East Asia and Egypt, the platform aims to strengthen collaboration, talent development, innovation and industry attractiveness across the sector.
Guided by the principle of Community over Competition, the Future Leaders Platform operates through six interconnected initiatives: the Future Leaders Challenge, Crafts & Culture Challenge, School Directors Alliance, Future Founders Forum, Educate Your Future Self and Alumni Network.
Through these initiatives, the platform supports young people, educators, industry leaders and partners in building a more connected and future-ready hospitality and tourism ecosystem.
Website: www.futureleadersplatform.com.
For PR-related information, please contact mike@mwrstudio.com or email us at info@futureleadersplatform.com.
