CAIRO — Twenty-five Egyptian companies have committed to offering training sessions and 2,000 jobs to working-age disabled Egyptians, holding out the promise of providing substance to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s declaration to make 2018 the “year of those challenged with a disability.” The commitment followed an employment fair held April 14 in Cairo for people with special needs. The Professional Development Foundation (PDF) and Jobzella organized the event.

Sherif Gamal, PDF's director of marketing and events, spoke to Al-Monitor about the fair, which reflects an effort by state and civil society institutions to address the rights and requirements of a class of individuals in Egyptian society suffering from marginalization.

“We took advantage of the fact that 2018 is the year of those challenged with a disability to think of a way to help create job opportunities, so we decided to organize this fair and invite companies to hold interviews and hire those who match job qualifications,” Gamal told Al-Monitor. “The fair was a success. At first, only five companies responded to our invitation, but we managed to persuade 25 companies all in all, and a large number of people with special needs came to apply for jobs.”

PDF, a nongovernmental organization, works on developing human resources and raising individuals' capabilities. It cooperates with private companies, including foreign businesses, to improve the skills of people with special needs so they can integrate into the labor market.