Nursing in Egypt has evolved over recent decades. Development has accelerated following recent government recognition of the contribution nurses make to healthcare access, quality and delivery. A vision to enhance nursing capacity resulted in a recent mandate requiring all nursing curricula to be competency based. Concurrently, the Educational Development Fund of the Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers drafted a nursing educational plan including a strategy to develop and implement a contextually congruent educational model with proven success comparable to international standards. This report discusses the 4-year curriculum development project designed to upgrade the current technical-level nursing curriculum to a consistent competency-based model. The competency-based educational model will be trialled in 3 technical institutes before nationwide rollout and implementation. Details of the project plan are described, including an overview of curriculum development considerations. This report provides insights for policy-makers and educators embarking on similar health workforce reform and capacity development initiatives.