Ahmed Abu Ismail
{{Short description|Egyptian economist and politician (1915–2013)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image =
|order =
|office = Minister of Finance
|primeminister = Mamdouh Salem
|president = Anwar Sadat
|term_start = 16 April 1975
|term_end = 19 November 1976
|predecessor = Mohammed Hamdi El Nashar
|successor = Mohammed Salah Eldeen
|birth_date = March 1915
|birth_place = Samannud, Sultanate of Egypt
|death_date = May {{death year and age|2013|1915}}
|death_place =
|resting_place = Samannud
|spouse =
|children =
|party = New Wafd Party
|alma_mater = University of Manchester
}}
Ahmed Abu Ismail (1915–2013) was an Egyptian economist and politician who served as minister of finance in the 1970s.{{cite web|title=Egypt. The Politics of Economic Strategy|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-4141.html|publisher=Country Data|access-date=8 September 2014}}{{cite magazine|author=Gamal Essam El Din|title=The Central Bank in the saddle|magazine=Al Ahram Weekly|date=6–12 December 2001|issue=563|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/563/ec2.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508063223/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/563/ec2.htm}}
Early life and education
Ismail was born in Samannud in March 1915. He hailed from a wealthy middle-class family. He attended the University of Manchester and obtained a PhD in transport economics in 1938.{{cite news|title=وفاة أحمد أبو إسماعيل وزير مالية مصر في عهد السادات|work=Albawabh News|date=20 May 2013|url=https://www.albawabhnews.com/46282|access-date=31 October 2021|language=ar}}
Career
Following his graduation Ismail worked at the University of London and returned to Egypt in 1948. Then he worked at an Egyptian university. He established the college of commerce of Kuwait University in 1968. Ismail supported a liberal economy approach and harshly criticized the inefficiency of the Egyptian public sector.{{cite journal|issue=4
|author=Raymond A. Hinnebusch|title=Egypt under Sadat: Elites, Power Structure, and Political Change in a Post-Populist State|pages=455–456
|journal=Social Problems|date=April 1981|volume=28|doi=10.2307/800057|jstor=800057}}
Although Ismail acted as the leader of opponents of the public economy policy implemented by President Anwar Sadat, he was appointed finance minister on 16 April 1975, replacing Mohammed Hamdi El Nashar in the post.{{cite web|title=Ministry of Finance In Brief|publisher=Ministry of Finance|access-date=8 September 2014|url=http://www.mof.gov.eg/English/About%20MOF/Pages/History.aspx}} The cabinet was led by Prime Minister Mamdouh Salem.{{cite journal|title=Chronology February 16, 1975-May 15, 1975|journal=The Middle East Journal|volume=29|issue=3|year=1975|jstor=4325381|page=334}}
Ismail adhered to a liberal economic approach, but he was an advocate of the price control and the increased level of subsidies to improve the economy of Egypt when he was in office.{{cite book|author=Raymond A. Jr. Hinnebusch|title=Egyptian Politics Under Sadat|year=1988
|publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers|isbn=9781685855550|url=https://doi.org/10.1515/9781685855550|page=134|location=Boulder, CO; London
|doi=10.1515/9781685855550}} Ismail's tenure ended on 19 November 1976 when he was dismissed due to his opposition over the policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund. The Economy Minister Zaki Shafei was also removed from office on the same date due to the same reason. Mohammed Salah Eldeen Hamid became finance minister replacing Ismail in the post. Then Ismail was named as the head of the Far East Bank in Cairo and served at the Parliament as a member of the New Wafd Party.
Death and legacy
Ismail died in May 2013 and was buried in his hometown, Samannud. A district in Samannud was named after him in September 2013.{{cite news|title=إطلاق اسم وزير المالية الأسبق أحمد أبو إسماعيل على حى بسمنود تكريمًا له|access-date=31 October 2021
|url=https://www.youm7.com/story/2013/9/25/%D8%A5%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%82-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AD%D9%89/1267296|work=Youm7|date=25 September 2013|language=ar}}
References
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Category:20th-century Egyptian economists
Category:Ministers of finance of Egypt
Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester
Category:Academics of the University of London
Category:Academic staff of Kuwait University
Category:Members of the Parliament of Egypt
Category:New Wafd Party politicians