Expand proudly celebrated the success of the 7th edition of the International Women Summit 2026, its flagship platform for women’s leadership and empowerment. Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Egyptian Tourism Authority, and the National Council for Women, the summit took place in Cairo under the theme “Legacy Reimagined, The New Era of Egyptian Women”, bringing together 450 attendees for a day filled with insight, recognition, connection, and opportunity.

Before the 2026 edition, the International Women Summit had already built a strong legacy across 6 editions from 2019 to 2025, bringing together more than 2,500 attendees, 220 speakers, 37 sessions, and 28 workshops. This milestone reflects Expand’s long-term commitment to building an influential platform that empowers female leaders across Egypt and beyond.

For Expand, this summit represents more than a successful event. It reflects a long-term mission to create meaningful platforms that support women through knowledge, visibility, partnership, and action. Over the years, the International Women Summit has grown into a platform where important conversations meet real opportunities, and where diverse voices come together to shape a stronger future.

The day opened with official speeches by Dr. Ahmed El Chal, Chairman of ICOM Group & Expand and Safaa Habib the Chief Central Administration for Media & Protocol at the National Council for Women, highlighting the summit’s commitment to collaboration and future-oriented partnerships.

The Influence Stage featured rich conversations on women in governance and enterprise, health and wellness, AI and cybersecurity, identity and legacy, economic contribution, and the mindset behind effective leadership. These sessions brought together a respected lineup of leaders from corporate, public, and professional backgrounds, offering the audience practical insight and strong perspectives. Speakers and moderators represented respected institutions and brands including Marakez, Beyti, L’Oréal Egypt, National Bank of Egypt, PepsiCo, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Nissan Motor Egypt, MetLife, Egypt Healthcare Authority, and the UN Women Egypt.

The Impact Stage added another valuable layer to the experience. It focused on entrepreneurship, art and cultural identity, CSR, beauty with integrity, longevity, and health awareness. This stage helped position women’s empowerment not only as a leadership issue, but also as a social, cultural, creative, and personal journey.

This year’s edition delivered a rich content experience through 7 panel discussions, 2 keynote speeches, 2 fireside chats, 1 heritage story talk, and 1 spotlight talk, reflecting Expand’s commitment to building a platform that informs, inspires, and connects.

Alongside the Influence & Impact Stages content, Expand curated 5 workshops that delivered direct value to attendees. These sessions covered social impact, AI for leaders, LinkedIn visibility, startup planning, and holistic wellbeing. This practical dimension helped turn the summit into a space for learning and action, not only inspiration.

The closing ceremony captured the spirit of the day through the Top Women Awards winners announcement and the IFAD Acknowledgment Awards to Baheya Fighters. These moments gave the summit a powerful ending rooted in appreciation, recognition, and purpose.

Dr. Ahmed El Chal, Chairman of ICOM Group & Expand stated – “The International Women Summit has always been built on one belief, that empowering women starts by creating the right space for dialogue, visibility, learning, and connection. This year, seeing 450 attendees engage with such a rich program confirmed that the summit is growing in both scale and impact. We are proud that Expand continues to lead a platform that brings together inspiring voices and meaningful partnerships under one purpose-driven experience”.

The International Women Summit 2026 stands as a clear success story for Expand. It reflects the company’s ability to transform a vision into a professional, well-executed, and meaningful platform. More importantly, it proves that when content, partnerships, and event strategy are aligned, the result can go far beyond a successful gathering. It can shape conversations, strengthen networks, and build lasting momentum.

Nihal Maharem, Business Development Director at Expand quoted – “For us at Expand, the success of the International Women Summit 2026 was not measured only by attendance, but by the quality of engagement, the relevance of the conversations, and the diversity of the audience and partners involved. Every element of the summit was designed to create value, from the topics discussed on stage to the workshops, networking moments, and recognition segments. This is the kind of platform we are proud to build, one that creates both immediate impact and long-term opportunity”.

Expand would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Egyptian Tourism Authority, and the National Council for Women for their valued patronage and support. We also sincerely thank all speakers, moderators, partners, sponsors, supporters, attendees, and every member of Expand team from Operations, Commercial, Branding & Production, Marketing whose dedication and belief in the summit’s mission helped deliver a platform that continues to grow in impact, relevance, and legacy.