Naguib Sawiris: The Executive Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding
Naguib Sawiris is a renowned Egyptian businessman and philanthropist, who is currently serving as the Executive Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding. This diversified business group holds a portfolio of investments primarily in the telecommunication, IT, media, and outsourcing industries. Prior to his current role, Naguib Sawiris worked for various international companies and has held a number of key positions in several of them. He is also highly active in the social and political affairs of Egypt, and is a keen advocate of reforming the educational system in the country.
Early Life and Career of Naguib Sawiris
Naguib Sawiris was born in 1950 in Cairo, Egypt to Onsi Sawiris, who was the founder of the Sawiris family’s business empire. He grew up in an affluent environment, surrounded by wealthy Egyptian entrepreneurs. Naguib completed his secondary education at the Jesuit-run Collège de la Sainte Famille in Cairo and went on to pursue a degree in civil engineering from Cairo University.
In the mid-1970s, Sawiris decided to leave Egypt and travel to Western Europe. He first settled in Switzerland and then in Germany, where he worked for various companies including Steiner AG, Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken and Dornier. During his time in Germany, he also earned a degree in Economics from the University of Munich. In 1979, three years after settling in Germany, he returned to Egypt and joined his father’s business.
Business and Career Success
In the early 1980s, Sawiris took the helm of the Sawiris family’s business. He began to build a business empire that would soon become one of the biggest in the Middle East. Under his leadership, the Sawiris family’s business empire began to diversify and expand into a number of sectors. One of the main businesses that Sawiris focused on was the telecommunication industry, launching the popular mobile phone company Orascom in 1998.
Another one of Naguib Sawiris’ great accomplishments was the establishment of Orascom Investment Holding in 2003. This family-owned holding company served as a platform for the Sawiris family to expand their business operations into more industries. Today, the holding company has grown to become one of the most successful conglomerates in the Middle East with an extensive portfolio of investments across several industries, including media, outsourcing, information technology and telecommunications.
Philanthropic Activities of Naguib Sawiris
Naguib Sawiris is not only a successful businessman but also a well-known philanthropist. He has donated heavily to various social causes and charities, primarily focused on improving education in Egypt. He established the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development in 2006, a non-profit organization that helps provide educational opportunities for students from underserved communities in Egypt.
In addition to the Sawiris Foundation, Sawiris has championed several other initiatives aimed at providing quality education to the youth in Egypt. He launched the El Gouna Study Abroad Scholarship Program in 2007, a program that provides funds to low-income students studying abroad. He also launched Egypt’s first coding bootcamp in 2015 to teach programming skills to students in Egypt.
Naguib Sawiris is an extremely successful businessman and an active philanthropist. He is the Executive Chairman of Orascom Investment Holding, a diversified business group with investments in the telecommunication, IT, media and outsourcing industries. His philanthropic initiatives focus on providing quality education for the youth in Egypt, such as launching the Sawiris Foundation and Egypt’s first coding bootcamp. His commitment to education and improving the economic prospects of Egypt makes him a highly respected figure in the country.