Hatem Abdel Latif

Hatem Abdel Latif
Occupation(s)	Politician, academic
Years active	1990s–present
Known for	Minister of Transportation (Egypt), professor and dean at Ain Shams University

Hatem Abdel Latif is an Egyptian political figure who held the position of Minister of Transportation in Hisham Qandil's government from January until July 2013.

Education

In 1990, Latif obtained his doctorate specializing in transportation planning and traffic engineering.

Career

Latif's professional background includes serving as a professor of road engineering and subsequently as dean at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University. He is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and its political branch, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). Although considered for a social affairs ministerial post in July 2012, he was not included in the initial Qandil cabinet.

On 5 January 2013, during a cabinet reshuffle, Latif was appointed as Minister of Transportation, succeeding Mohammad Rashad. He was among eight representatives of the FJP within the cabinet. After the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état, Latif and other FJP ministers tendered their resignations on 4 July; his official term concluded on 16 July when Hazem Al Beblawi formed the interim government. Subsequently, Latif resumed his academic career and was granted emeritus professor status in November 2017.

Controversy

A fatal train accident occurred on 14 January 2013 in Badrashin, resulting in at least 19 deaths and approximately 120 injuries. In response, Latif acknowledged his political accountability but chose not to step down from his ministerial role.

Arrest

Latif was detained near Cairo on 13 December 2020 under an arrest warrant connected to his period as Minister of Transportation during the Muslim Brotherhood administration.