Egyptian billionaire businessman and co-founder of the Elgouna Film Festival Samih Sawiris poses on the red carpet during the closing session of the 5th edition of the Gouna Film Festival in Egypt's Red Sea resort of el-Gouna on October 22, 2021. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Egyptian billionaire businessman and co-founder of the Elgouna Film Festival Samih Sawiris poses on the red carpet during the closing session of the 5th edition of the Gouna Film Festival in Egypt's Red Sea resort of el-Gouna on October 22, 2021. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Egyptian billionaire businessman and co-founder of the Elgouna Film Festival Samih Sawiris poses on the red carpet during the closing session of the 5th edition of the Gouna Film Festival in Egypt's Red Sea resort of el-Gouna on October 22, 2021. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Egyptian billionaire businessman and co-founder of the Elgouna Film Festival Samih Sawiris poses on the red carpet during the closing session of the 5th edition of the Gouna Film Festival in Egypt's R

Samih Sawiris steps down as chairman of Orascom Development Holding


Kamal Tabikha
  • English
  • Arabic

Egyptian billionaire and construction tycoon Samih Sawiris will step down as chairman of Orascom Development Holding and transfer his duties to his son, the company said on Wednesday.

After more than 30 years at the helm of Orascom Development Holding, Mr Sawiris said he will not be nominating himself for the chairmanship of Orascom’s board of directors at the annual meeting of the company in May 2022.

He will, however, remain available to the board in an advisory capacity under his son’s chairmanship.

Mr Sawiris’s son Naguib Samih Sawiris was unanimously nominated by the board of directors for the company’s chairmanship.

Following his ascension, Mr Naguib will replace his father as the company’s largest shareholder.

"Naguib's experience building and investing in successful technology businesses in the US, and his active role in supporting ODH through the Covid-19 crisis, has made me confident that he is both capable and committed to successfully leading ODH into the future, together with chief executive Omar El Hamamsy and the support of the Board. I wish them all the best," Mr Sawiris said.

As the company’s new chairman, “focus will be on ensuring the company returns to its former prosperity and becomes a benchmark for developing distinguished destinations", Mr Naguib said.

"I look forward to assuming the position of p;resident with a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude," he said.

ODH has been contracted by the Egyptian government to complete a number of high-profile real estate and tourism projects.

The company 's portfolio of projects span Egypt, the UAE, Oman, Morocco, Montenegro, Switzerland and the UK. The group operates a total of 33 hotels with 7,198 rooms and controls about 101.1 million square metres of land.

ODH swung to profit in the third quarter of this year, earning a net profit of 3.7 million Swiss francs ($4m), while total revenue jumped 51.3 per cent to reach 145.9m Swiss francs.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

List of officials:

Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.

Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.

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Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The schedule

December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club

December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq

December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm

December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition

December 13: Falcon beauty competition

December 14 and 20: Saluki races

December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm

December 16 - 19: Falconry competition

December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am

December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am

December 22: The best herd of 30 camels

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
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  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

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Price: From Dh126,000

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Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres

Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)

5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m

Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi

6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m

Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali

6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m

Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani

7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m

Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan

7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m

Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

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Company%C2%A0profile
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Updated: December 15, 2021, 2:25 PM`