A significant development in the regional research landscape: Egypt has officially concluded its association to Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research and innovation funding programme. As of April 2025, Egyptian institutions are eligible to participate in Horizon Europe calls under the 2025 budget, enjoying the same rights and obligations as entities from EU member states and associated countries. The formal signing of the agreement is expected later this year. Egypt thus becomes the second African country, after Tunisia, to join the programme as an associated partner. This association opens new opportunities for collaborative research in key fields such as climate, energy, food security and digital innovation—further strengthening links between Egypt and the European research community.