At the third edition of the Entlaq Summit in El Gouna, Belal Zahran, International Managing Director of Foodics Egypt and UAE, outlined the company’s ambitious regional expansion and reaffirmed its role in reshaping the restaurant and café sector. Zahran emphasized that investing in talent and advanced technologies is key to strengthening Egypt’s position as a regional digital hub. His remarks came as Foodics launched its annual entrepreneurship report and introduced new tools designed to boost operational performance for businesses across the food and beverage industry.
Regional Expansion and Market Reach
Zahran highlighted that Foodics has cemented its role as a significant player in the markets where it operates, with direct offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, and Jordan. Beyond these hubs, the company’s technology solutions now extend to more than 30 countries worldwide. This broad footprint underscores the trust that partners and clients place in Foodics’ ability to drive efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and support sustainable growth for restaurants and cafés.
Launch of Foodics BI
A centerpiece of Foodics’ latest strategy is the introduction of Foodics BI, an AI-powered business intelligence platform designed to give entrepreneurs deeper insights into their operations. The tool enables restaurant and café owners to analyze data effectively, track customer behavior, and make more informed decisions. According to Zahran, this product represents a transformative shift in how food service businesses can use technology to streamline processes and sustain growth.
Empowering Entrepreneurs and SMEs
Zahran stressed that Foodics’ mission extends beyond offering digital products, focusing instead on empowering entrepreneurs and small businesses to adapt to market dynamics. He underscored that technology has become a necessity rather than a luxury in ensuring business continuity and competitiveness. By equipping SMEs with cutting-edge solutions, Foodics aims to help them thrive in increasingly digitalized markets.
Egypt’s Digital Potential
Turning to the broader national landscape, Zahran described Egypt’s ICT sector as one of the most promising in the region, supported by strong infrastructure and consistent annual growth rates of more than 10 percent. He pointed to the country’s youthful demographics, with over half of the population under 25 and nearly 600,000 graduates each year, as an untapped asset for innovation and development. Zahran referred to this human capital as a “true treasure” that, if nurtured, could drive Egypt’s transformation into a digital leader.
The Need for Research and Development Investment
Despite these strengths, Zahran noted that Egypt’s current spending on research and development remains below 0.5 percent of GDP, leaving considerable room for improvement. He called for the creation of a unified national framework for research and development, supported by partnerships between the private and public sectors. Such efforts, he argued, would improve Egypt’s ranking on the Global Innovation Index and position the country as a hub for exportable, investment-attracting technologies.
Strengthening Commitment to Egypt
Zahran concluded by reiterating Foodics’ dedication to reinforcing its presence in Egypt through integrated solutions and innovative products that respond to evolving market needs. He emphasized that the company sees itself as a strategic ally to entrepreneurs navigating digital transformation. By investing in talent, innovation, and advanced solutions, Foodics aims to contribute to building a more competitive and future-ready digital economy in Egypt and across the region.
Foodics’ expansion in Egypt reflects both the company’s regional ambitions and the country’s growing readiness to embrace digital innovation. With new technologies such as Foodics BI and a focus on empowering entrepreneurs, the company is aligning its strategy with Egypt’s youthful talent pool and infrastructure strengths. Zahran’s call for greater investment in research and development underscores the broader opportunities for Egypt to secure its role as a regional digital leader in the years ahead.