Sameh Fahmi
{{Short description|Egyptian engineer and politician (born 1949)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox Minister
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| office = Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources
| primeminister = {{ubl|Atef Ebeid|Ahmed Shafik}}
| predecessor = Hamdi Al Banbi
| successor = Mahmoud Latif Amer
| term_start = 5 October 1999
| term_end = 21 February 2011
| birth_name = Amin Sameh Samir Fahmi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|8|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Cairo
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| party = National Democratic Party
| alma_mater = Cairo University
| spouse =
| nationality = Egyptian
| children = }}
Sameh Fahmi (born 14 August 1949) is an Egyptian engineer and politician who served as oil minister of Egypt for 12 years from 1999 to 2011.
Early life and education
Career and activities
After graduation, Fahmi began to work at the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC). In May 1993, he became a board member and vice head of the EGPC in charge of planning and projects. In January 1997, he was appointed CEO and vice chairman of the Midor oil refining venture near Alexandria. In 1997, he began to serve as a board member of the Petroleum and Mining Chamber and of the Federation of Egyptian Industries. In August 1998, he was named a board member of the Alexandria Company for Petroleum Maintenance. He joined the National Democratic Party and became a member of its policy secretariat.{{cite journal|author=Gamal Essam El Din|title=Reshuffle postponed|journal=Al Ahram Weekly|date=29 September – 5 October 2005|volume=762|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/762/eg2.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528224619/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/762/eg2.htm|archive-date=28 May 2013|df=dmy-all}}
Fahmi was appointed oil minister to the cabinet led by the Prime Minister Atef Ebeid on 5 October 1999, replacing Hamdi Al Banbi in the post.{{cite news|title=Profile - Sameh Fahmi - Oil Minister|access-date=2 March 2013
|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/EGYPT+-+Profile+-+Sameh+Fahmi+-+Oil+Minister.-a0112766325|work=APS|date=26 January 2004}}{{cite news|title=Decision Maker Profile - Dr. Atef Ebeid|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/EGYPT+-+Decision+Maker+Profile+-+Dr.+Atef+Obeid.-a058923831|access-date=26 July 2013|work=APS Review Downstream Trends|date=24 January 2000}} Fahmi was also named the chairman of the Egyptian Gas Holding Company.{{cite journal|author=Gamal Essam El Din|title=In the dock|journal=Al Ahram Weekly|date=22–28 May 2008
|volume=898|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/898/eg5.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 March 2013|df=dmy-all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326213538/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/898/eg5.htm}} He was instrumental in the establishment of the Egyptian holding company for petrochemicals (ECHEM) in 2002.{{cite book|author=Pascal Belda|title=Ebizguide Egypt|location=Dublin
|publisher=World Investment Business News|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EL4xJptWHLoC&pg=PA94|year=2005|isbn=978-84-933978-0-7|page=94}} A 15-year natural gas deal was signed by him and Israeli national infrastructure minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer in July 2005.{{cite journal|author=Hirak Jyoti Das|title=Israel's Gas Diplomacy with Egypt|journal=Contemporary Review of the Middle East|volume=7
|issue=2|page=218|doi=10.1177/2347798920901877|year=2020|s2cid=213165674 |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/2347798920901877|url-access=subscription}}{{cite journal|title=Gas Exports to Israel|journal=Al Ahram Weekly|date=7–13 July 2005|volume=750|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/750/ec5.htm|archive-date=26 March 2013|df=dmy-all|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326202439/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/750/ec5.htm}} In December 2010, he was appointed president of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.{{cite news|title=1st Summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries late 2011 in Doha|url=http://www.ennaharonline.com/en/economy/5305.html|access-date=2 March 2013|work=Ennahar|date=3 December 2010}} Although he retained his post in the cabinet led by Ahmed Shafik in the January 2011 reshuffle,{{cite news|title=Egypt Names Radwan Finance Minister in New Cabinet, Replaces Boutros-Ghali|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/mubarak-names-new-cabinet-replaces-finance-minister-as-protests-continue.html|access-date=5 September 2013|work=Bloomberg|date=31 January 2011|author=Alaa Shaahine}} he resigned from office due to the complaints of oil workers on 16 February 2011.{{cite news|title=Egypt Oil Minister Sameh Fahmi resigns from office|url=http://news.egypt.com/en/2011021613566/news/-egypt-news/egypt-oil-minister-sameh-fahmi-resigns-from-office.html|access-date=20 October 2013|newspaper=Egypt News|date=16 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2013|df=dmy-all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021100820/http://news.egypt.com/en/2011021613566/news/-egypt-news/egypt-oil-minister-sameh-fahmi-resigns-from-office.html}} His term ended on 21 February 2011,{{cite journal|title=Mubarak was sole architect of Israel gas deal: Ex-oil minister's defence|journal=Al Ahram|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/40519/Business/Economy/Mubarak-was-sole-architect-of-Israel-gas-deal-Exoi.aspx|date=30 April 2012}}{{cite journal|author=Tamer Abdel Aziz|title=How eligible is the new minister?|journal=Egypt Oil & Gas|date=March 2011|issue=51|pages=12–13|url=http://www.egyptoil-gas.com/publications/how-eligible-is-the-new-minister/}} and he was replaced by Mahmoud Latif Amer as oil minister.{{cite news|title=Sameh Fahmy out of the new cabinet|access-date=2 March 2013|work=Egypt Oil & Gas|url=http://www.egyptoil-gas.com/read_article_local.php?NID=1798|date=21 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415190048/http://www.egyptoil-gas.com/read_article_local.php?NID=1798|archive-date=15 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}
=Controversy=
After leaving office, Fahmi was investigated because of alleged wrongdoing.{{cite journal|author=Shaden Shehab|title=Juggling the possible|journal=Al Ahram Weekly|date=10–16 March 2011|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1038/fr1.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121203226/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1038/fr1.htm|archive-date=21 January 2012|df=dmy-all}} In April 2011, it was announced by the public prosecutor that he would be tried in relation to the charges related to a natural gas deal with Israel.{{cite news|author=Gamal Essam El Din|title=Egypt's fallen president faces execution or life imprisonment if found guilty
|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentPrint/1/0/10607/Egypt/0/Egypts-fallen-president-faces-execution-or-life-im.aspx|work=Ahram Online
|date=23 April 2011}}{{cite news|title=Egypt's Ex-Oil Minister Jailed for 15 Days, Prosecutor Says
|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-21/egypt-s-ex-oil-minister-jailed-for-15-days-prosecutor-says-1-.html|access-date=25 March 2013
|work=Bloomberg|date=21 April 2011|author=Nadeem Hamid|author2=Mariam Fam}} He was arrested and held in custody on 21 April 2011.{{cite news|author=Dana Zayed|title=Egypt detains ex-energy minister over Israel gas deal|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ozabs-energy-egypt-idAFJOE73L03520110422|access-date=2 March 2013|work=Reuters|date=22 April 2011}}{{cite news|title=Egypt court jails ex-oil minister for corruption|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/egypt-gas-sentence-idAFL6E8HS6S020120628|access-date=3 March 2013|work=Reuters
|date=28 June 2012|location=Cairo}} Fahmi was sentenced to 15 years in prison in June 2012 due to his alleged role in selling and exporting natural gas to Israel in 2005 at lower prices than market rates.{{cite news|author=Rana Mohammad Taha|title=Salem and Fahmy imprisoned over Israel gas deal|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2012/06/28/court-rules-15-years-for-hussein-salem-and-sameh-fahmy-for-israel-gas-deal/|access-date=2 March 2013|newspaper=Daily News Egypt|date=28 June 2012}}{{cite news|title=Egyptian oil minister who signed deal with Israel sentenced to 15 years in jail|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/egyptian-oil-minister-who-signed-deal-with-israel-sentenced-to-15-years-in-jail/|access-date=3 March 2013|newspaper=The Times of Israel|date=29 June 2012}} He along with other officials was also fined about $2.3 billion.
In mid-March 2013, the court of cassation decided that Fahmi should be retried over the Egypt-Israel gas case. On 28 March 2013, he was released from prison since he stayed in prison longer than the maximum 18 months allowed for pre-trial detention.{{cite news|title=Egypt ex-oil minister freed on appeal in Israel gas export case|url=http://en.trend.az/regions/met/arabicr/2133152.html|access-date=20 October 2013|work=Trend|date=28 March 2013}} Specifically, he was jailed for 23 months.{{cite news|title=Mubarak's oil minister freed after 23 months in jail|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/67927/Business/Economy/Mubaraks-oil-minister-freed-after--months-in-jail.aspx|access-date=20 October 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=28 March 2013}}
References
{{Reflist|33em}}
External links
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Hamdi Al Banbi}}
{{s-ttl|title=Oil Minister of Egypt|years=1999-2011}}
{{s-aft|after=Mahmoud Latif Amer}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fahmi, Sameh}}
Category:20th-century Egyptian engineers
Category:20th-century Egyptian politicians
Category:21st-century Egyptian engineers
Category:21st-century Egyptian politicians
Category:Cairo University alumni
Category:Egyptian politicians convicted of crimes
Category:Egyptian prisoners and detainees
Category:National Democratic Party (Egypt) politicians
Category:Politicians from Cairo
Category:People of the Egyptian revolution of 2011