Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris has developed a business career spanning construction, industrial investments, international sports and corporate leadership. From his involvement in the family-founded Orascom business to his position as chairman of Adidas’ Supervisory Board, his professional journey illustrates how an Egyptian industrial enterprise expanded into a portfolio of investments across international markets.
Today, Nassef Sawiris is closely associated with Orascom Construction, an engineering and infrastructure company operating across the Middle East, Africa and the United States. The company works on major construction projects, including transportation networks, energy facilities, industrial developments and data centres. Its operations have also expanded into infrastructure investment and concessions, giving it interests that extend past traditional construction contracts.
His influence reaches into European consumer goods and international football. Sawiris chairs the Supervisory Board of German sportswear company Adidas and is an investor in English Premier League club Aston Villa, which he acquired alongside American businessman Wes Edens in 2018. These investments have established his presence in industries with different commercial models, from infrastructure development to sports and global retail.
According to Forbes Middle East’s 2026 wealth assessment, Sawiris had an estimated net worth of $9.6 billion, placing him among Africa’s wealthiest businesspeople. The estimate is a measure of his personal wealth, separate from the revenue and assets of the companies in which he holds interests. Forbes Lists+1
A significant development in 2026 has been the proposed combination of Orascom Construction and OCI Global, an industrial investment company associated with the Sawiris family. The transaction is intended to establish an Abu Dhabi-based infrastructure and investment platform, bringing construction capabilities and investment assets under a broader corporate structure.
The development marks another stage in Sawiris’ approach to global investments, which has involved developing industrial businesses, managing international shareholdings and participating in companies operating across different sectors.
Nassef Sawiris’ Early Career and the Development of Orascom
Nassef Onsi Sawiris was born in Egypt in January 1961, the youngest son of businessman Onsi Sawiris, whose construction enterprise became the foundation of the Orascom business group.
His father established the original construction business in 1950. Over subsequent decades, the family’s commercial activities developed into several enterprises with interests in construction, telecommunications, tourism and industrial operations.
Sawiris studied at the University of Chicago, where he completed his undergraduate education before pursuing a career within the family business. His professional development was closely connected to the construction and industrial activities that would later become central to his international investment portfolio.
The Orascom businesses expanded as opportunities emerged in Egypt and other markets, with construction and industrial operations developing into distinct corporate interests.
Unlike his brothers Naguib and Samih Sawiris, who became associated with telecommunications and tourism respectively, Nassef concentrated much of his career on construction, industrial assets and investment management.
His involvement in these businesses provided experience in managing large projects, raising capital, working with international partners and navigating the requirements of publicly traded companies.
The family company’s development also exposed Sawiris to industries where growth depended on long-term investment decisions and the ability to manage substantial operational commitments.
These experiences became important as his interests expanded from Egyptian construction into international industrial transactions and corporate shareholdings.
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Building Orascom Construction Into an International Infrastructure Business
Orascom Construction developed into an international engineering and construction contractor with operations spanning major infrastructure, industrial and commercial projects.
The company has worked across Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United States, participating in sectors that require specialised engineering expertise and substantial project-management capabilities.
Its activities include transportation infrastructure, power generation, water facilities, industrial construction and commercial developments.
Orascom Construction also owns a 50% interest in BESIX Group, the international construction business headquartered in Belgium. This investment broadens its exposure to engineering and construction activities in additional markets.
The company’s expansion has been accompanied by the development of infrastructure concessions and related investments. These activities allow it to participate in certain projects through ownership or long-term operating arrangements as well as construction contracts.
Its financial performance illustrates the scale of the business.
According to Orascom Construction’s audited 2025 financial statements, the company recorded revenue of approximately $5.05 billion, compared with $3.26 billion in 2024. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached $194.8 million, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation stood at $305 million.
The company ended 2025 with a consolidated project backlog of approximately $9.03 billion, representing contracted work expected to support future construction activity. Orascom Construction+1
The figures demonstrate the size of Orascom Construction’s operations, although they represent corporate performance and should not be confused with Sawiris’ personal earnings.
In August 2026, the company reported further growth in its project portfolio. Its consolidated backlog reached $10.9 billion as of June 30, while first-half revenue stood at approximately $2.98 billion.
The same announcement identified data-centre construction in the United States as an important source of new contracts. The company’s American data-centre construction portfolio exceeded two gigawatts of capacity across projects involving multiple developers and technology customers.
These developments show how Orascom Construction has diversified its activities to include infrastructure associated with digital technology, alongside its established work in energy, transportation and industrial facilities. Orascom Construction
From Industrial Investments to the Proposed OCI Global Combination
Beyond construction, Sawiris has been closely associated with OCI Global, an industrial business whose activities have included nitrogen fertilisers, ammonia, methanol and related chemical products.
The company’s development forms an important part of his career because it demonstrates his involvement in industrial operations and corporate investment decisions outside the construction sector.
OCI’s history includes the development, acquisition and disposal of major industrial assets. These transactions have contributed to the group’s evolution from a business with substantial operating interests in industrial production towards a broader investment strategy.
In December 2025, OCI Global and Orascom Construction announced an agreement to combine their businesses into an infrastructure and investment platform headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Under the proposed arrangement, Orascom Construction would become the surviving listed company, with OCI shareholders receiving shares in the combined business. The group would operate under the Orascom name through three proposed divisions: Orascom Infrastructure, Orascom Construction and Orascom Capital.
The planned structure is intended to bring together Orascom Construction’s engineering and project-development expertise with OCI’s investment experience and capital resources. OCI
The transaction reached an important milestone on October 30, 2026, when OCI shareholders approved the combination. According to the company’s official voting results, 99.85% of votes cast, excluding abstentions, supported the relevant resolutions.
The proposed timetable anticipates the distribution of Orascom Construction shares to eligible OCI shareholders beginning around December 8, 2026, subject to the remaining corporate, regulatory and settlement requirements.
As of November 11, 2026, the combination has received shareholder approval but has not been confirmed as completed. Sawiris is expected to become non-executive chairman of the combined entity following its completion. OCI
The proposed restructuring represents a significant development in his global investments, bringing together businesses with experience in infrastructure delivery, industrial operations and capital allocation.
Nassef Sawiris’ Leadership at Adidas
Sawiris’ business interests extend into the international consumer goods industry through Adidas, one of the world’s leading sportswear companies.
His association with the German company began as an investor and developed into a corporate governance role.
In March 2026, Adidas announced plans to nominate him for re-election to its Supervisory Board and subsequently appoint him chairman, succeeding Thomas Rabe.
The appointment proceeded, and Adidas now identifies Sawiris as chairman of its Supervisory Board. adidas Group+1
The position is significant because the Supervisory Board oversees the company’s management and major governance matters under Germany’s corporate structure. It is distinct from the chief executive’s responsibility for day-to-day business operations.
Adidas’ Executive Board, led by CEO Bjørn Gulden, remains responsible for managing the company.
Sawiris also holds a substantial financial interest in Adidas. Forbes has described his holding as nearly 6%, although ownership estimates can differ according to the date and method of calculation.
His involvement therefore combines an investment interest with a formal leadership responsibility at a major international consumer brand.
For an entrepreneur whose early career centred on construction and industrial businesses, the position demonstrates the breadth of his corporate interests.
It also places him within the governance of a company whose activities include product development, international retail, manufacturing partnerships and sports marketing.
Investing in Aston Villa and International Sports
Another important development in Sawiris’ investment career came in July 2018, when he joined American businessman Wes Edens in acquiring a controlling interest in English football club Aston Villa.
At the time, Aston Villa was competing in the English Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League in 2016.
The investment introduced Sawiris to professional football ownership, a business involving commercial partnerships, broadcasting revenue, sporting performance and long-term infrastructure spending.
Under the ownership group, Aston Villa returned to the Premier League in 2019 and subsequently qualified for European competition.
The club is held through V Sports, an investment group associated with Sawiris and Edens. In December 2023, Aston Villa announced that investment company Atairos had agreed to become a minority partner in V Sports.
The transaction was intended to support the club’s growth and infrastructure investments while maintaining the existing ownership group’s control. Aston Villa
Sawiris’ interests in professional sports have also extended to the United States.
In December 2020, he acquired a 5% stake in Madison Square Garden Sports, the company associated with the New York Knicks basketball franchise and New York Rangers ice hockey team.
That transaction added another sports-related investment to his portfolio, although the originally reported stake should not be treated as confirmation of his current ownership percentage. Forbes Lists
His involvement in Aston Villa and American professional sports illustrates how his investments have extended into businesses where commercial value is connected to audiences, sporting assets and entertainment rights.
Education, Philanthropy and the University of Chicago
Alongside his corporate activities, Sawiris has supported educational initiatives connecting Egypt with international institutions.
One of his most significant documented philanthropic commitments involves the University of Chicago, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1982.
In May 2019, the university announced a $24.1 million gift from Sawiris to expand educational opportunities for Egyptian students and support executive education.
Of that amount, $18.1 million was allocated to the Sawiris Scholars Program and related undergraduate financial assistance, while $6 million was directed towards an executive education initiative in El Gouna, Egypt.
The initiative was designed to connect Egyptian students, business leaders and public-sector professionals with educational opportunities associated with the university.
The Sawiris Scholars Program had previously been established in 2007 through an earlier contribution from Sawiris, named in honour of his father.
His educational philanthropy provides another dimension to his professional activities, connecting his international business experience with programmes intended to expand access to education and leadership development. The University of Chicago
The Future of Nassef Sawiris’ Global Investments
By 2026, Nassef Sawiris had established a portfolio connecting infrastructure, industrial businesses, international consumer goods and professional sports.
His involvement in Orascom Construction remains central to that portfolio, supported by the company’s engineering operations, international project backlog and growing participation in infrastructure investment.
The proposed combination with OCI Global could further change the organisation of these interests by creating a broader platform for construction, infrastructure ownership and investment management.
At the same time, his position at Adidas and ownership interests in Aston Villa demonstrate that his business activities are no longer confined to the industries in which his career began.
These investments differ in their commercial structures, but they share a requirement for long-term capital decisions, corporate oversight and an understanding of international markets.
Sawiris’ career has developed through successive stages of business expansion, industrial investment and participation in companies operating across multiple sectors.
His progression from the family-founded Orascom enterprise to leadership responsibilities at Adidas and ownership interests in international sports illustrates the scale of that development.
As the proposed OCI Global and Orascom Construction combination moves through its remaining implementation stages, it represents a significant chapter in the evolution of his investment activities.
For Sawiris, the continuing development of Orascom and his wider portfolio demonstrates how an Egyptian business career rooted in construction has expanded into international corporate ownership and leadership.
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Image Credit: Bloomberg, Marcopolis & Financial Times
