Samih Sawiris
{{Short description|Egyptian businessman (born 1957)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Samih Sawiris
| image = Sawiris-I.png
| imagesize = 260px
| caption = Sawiris in 2010
| office = Executive Chairman and CEO of Orascom Development Holding AG
| term_start = 1998-
| term_end =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| order2 = Chairman of El Gouna FC
| term_start2 = 2003-
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| order3 = Board member of FC Luzern
| term_start3 = 2011-
| term_end3 =
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|1|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Sohag, Sohag, Egypt
| residence = Cairo, Egypt
| citizenship = Egypt (1957-present)
Montenegro (2011-present)
| net worth =
| education = Technische Universität Berlin
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| children =
| native_name = سميح أنسي ساويرس
| relations = Nassef Sawiris and Naguib Sawiris (brothers)
}}
Samih Onsi Sawiris ({{langx|ar|سميح أنسي ساويرس}}, {{Langx|cnr|Samih Onsi Saviris / Самих Онси Савирис}}; born 28 January 1957) is an Egyptian-Montenegrin businessman, investor and billionaire[https://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Samih-Sawiris_L391.html The World's Billionaires: #396 Samih Sawiris]. Forbes. March 5, 2008. and the second of three sons of Onsi Sawiris, the other two being Naguib Sawiris and Nassef Sawiris. He is the former executive chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Orascom Development Holding AG.{{Cite web|url=http://www.orascomdh.com/en/about-us/management-team.html|title=ORASCOM: Management Team|website=www.orascomdh.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-12|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418134836/http://www.orascomdh.com/en/about-us/management-team.html|archive-date=2010-04-18}}
As of 2015, his net worth was estimated at US$850 million, which at the time made him the 26th richest person in Africa.{{Cite web|title=Samih Sawiris|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/samih-sawiris/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Forbes|language=en}}
Education and career
Sawiris received his Engineering Diploma in Engineering management from Technische Universität Berlin in 1980.{{cite web|url=https://idw-online.de/en/news369292|title=TU Berlin richtet deutschen Campus in Ägypten ein|publisher=Informationsdienst Wissenschaft|language=de|access-date=2021-04-09}}
He founded National Marine Boat Factory, followed by Orascom Projects for Touristic Development in 1996 and Orascom Hotels and Development in 1998; the latter two companies later merged to form Orascom Development Holding AG. He has served as CEO and chairman of Orascom Development Holding AG from its incorporation, and stepped down in December 2021.{{Cite news|date=2021-12-14|title=Egyptian construction tycoon Samih Sawiris to step down as Orascom's chairman|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egyptian-construction-tycoon-samih-sawiris-step-down-orascoms-chairman-al-2021-12-14/|access-date=2022-02-03}}{{Cite web|date=2021-12-15|title=Samih Sawiris steps down as chairman of Orascom Development Holding|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/2021/12/15/samih-sawiris-steps-down-as-chairman-of-orascom-development-holding/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=The National|language=en}} His son succeeded him.{{Cite web|title=Samih Sawiris to step down as ODH chairman|url=https://enterprise.press/stories/2021/12/15/samih-sawiris-to-step-down-as-odh-chairman-60738/|access-date=2022-02-03|website=Enterprise|language=en}} Through his organisation, Sawiris developed holiday resorts in Egypt and Switzerland.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/property-home/article/montenegro-the-rising-star-of-the-balkans-r6skd5xck |title=Montenegro — the rising star of the Balkans |date=2019-07-12 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=The Times |last=Lewis |first=Carol }}
In 2011, he took a 12.5% stake in Swiss football club FC Luzern.[http://justcantbeatthat.com/2011/egyptian-investor-for-fcl-2/ Egyptian investor for FCL]{{Cite web|title=Streit der Aktionäre im FC Luzern beigelegt|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/alle-news-in-kuerze/streit-der-aktionaere-im-fc-luzern-beigelegt/46363714|access-date=2022-02-03|website=SWI swissinfo.ch|language=de}} In 2017, he invested in Bidroom, a membership-based online hotel booking platform.{{Cite web|last=Nsehe|first=Mfonobong|title=Egyptian Millionaire Samih Sawiris Invests In Hotel Booking Startup, Bidroom.com|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2017/09/18/egyptian-millionaire-samih-sawiris-invests-in-hotel-booking-startup/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=Forbes|language=en}}
In December 2019, he acquired Thomas Cook (Germany) through his Raiffeisen Touristik (RT) Group,{{cite web|url=https://egyptindependent.com/egyptian-billionaire-samih-sawiris-acquires-thomas-cook-germany/|title=Egyptian billionaire Samih Sawiris acquires Thomas Cook Germany|website=Egypt Independent|date=6 December 2019}}{{Cite web|title=Samih Sawiris acquires Thomas Cook's German franchise network|url=https://english.mubasher.info/news/3569671/Samih-Sawiris-acquires-Thomas-Cook-s-German-franchise-network/|access-date=2022-02-03|website=english.mubasher.info|language=en}} which he had bought 74.9% of its shares back in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.wochenblatt.de/news-stream/altoetting/artikel/79090/sensation-samih-sawiris-uebernimmt-74-9-prozent-der-rt-raiffeisen-touristik-group|title=Sensation: Samih Sawiris übernimmt 74,9 Prozent der RT/Raiffeisen Touristik Group|website=wochenblatt.de|language=German|date=3 March 2014}}
In December 2021, Sawiris stepped down as chairman of Orascom Development Holding and transferred his duties to his son, Naguib Samih Sawiris.{{Cite web |last=Tabikha |first=Kamal |date=2021-12-15 |title=Samih Sawiris steps down as chairman of Orascom Development Holding |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/2021/12/15/samih-sawiris-steps-down-as-chairman-of-orascom-development-holding/ |access-date=2023-08-30 |website=The National |language=en}}
Personal life
Sawiris became a Montenegrin citizen in 2011.{{Cite web|last=Keystone-SDA/ts|title=Samih Sawiris granted honorary citizenship of canton Uri|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/samih-sawiris-granted-honorary-citizenship-of-canton-uri/46679884|access-date=2022-02-07|website=SWI swissinfo.ch|language=en}} He is Coptic Christian.{{Cite web|title=Naguib Sawiris: 'If God wanted women to be veiled, he would have created them with a veil'|url=https://www.arabianbusiness.com/culture-society/432946-naguib-sawiris-if-god-wanted-women-to-be-veiled-he-would-have-created-them-with-veil|access-date=2021-09-24}}
{{clear}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sawiris, Samih}}
Category:Egyptian businesspeople
Category:Montenegrin businesspeople
Category:Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt
Category:Egyptian billionaires
Category:Egyptian emigrants to Montenegro
Category:People from Sohag Governorate
Category:Technische Universität Berlin alumni
{{Egypt-bio-stub}}