Qatawi family
| Company type | Family lineage |
|---|---|
| Industry | Politics, Finance, Trade, Industry |
| Founded | Late 18th century |
| Founder | Elisha Haider Qatawi |
| Headquarters | Cairo , Egypt |
Area served | Egypt |
The Qatawi family (also rendered as Qatawwi, Catawi, or Cattaui) (Arabic:عائلة قطاوي) is a notable Egyptian Sephardic Jewish lineage that exerted significant influence in political and economic domains from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. Originating from the village of Qatta near Cairo, family members were prominent figures in trade and financial sectors.
Elisha Haider Qatawi
Elisha Haider Qatawi relocated to Cairo toward the end of the 18th century. His son Jacob (1801–1883) obtained governmental concessions for commercial and financial enterprises, earning the honorific "BK" as well as an Austro-Hungarian baronial title via family citizenship. Jacob managed the treasury during the tenures of Khedive Abbas I (1848–1854), Governor Saeed, and Khedive Ismail. Subsequently, he became the leader of Cairo’s Jewish community, known as the Israelite sect.
Moses Qatawi
Following Jacob, his son Moses Qatawi (1850–1924) assumed leadership of the sect in 1883 and was elected to the Egyptian Parliament, receiving the rank of Pasha. A distinguished financier and banker, Moses directed numerous enterprises and invested in railway developments across Upper Egypt and the East Delta. Additionally, he partnered with the Sawaris family on public transit projects within Cairo.
Joseph Aslan Qatawi
After Moses' passing, leadership transitioned to his nephew, Joseph Aslan Qatawi (1861–1942), who pursued engineering studies in Paris before joining Egypt’s Ministry of Public Works.[1] He further specialized in sugar production in Italy and established a sugar manufacturing plant in Egypt. Qatawi participated actively in various industrial and financial advisory boards and collaborated with Talaat Harb and Joseph Cicurel to found Banque Misr in 1920.
In 1915, he represented Egypt in negotiations with Britain regarding independence. By 1922, he contributed to drafting Egypt’s constitution following the 1919 Egyptian revolution and British acknowledgment of sovereignty. His political career included serving as Minister of Finance (1924), Minister of Transportation (1925), election to the House of Representatives for Kom Ombo in 1923, and membership in the Senate from 1927 until his retirement due to health issues in 1939.
In 1935, Qatawi authored a French-language analysis supporting Khedive Ismail’s economic strategies. He married into the wealthy Jewish Sawaris family; notably, his wife was maid of honor to Queen Nazli.[2]
Aslan and Rene Qatawi
Following Joseph Aslan’s demise, his son Aslan took over his Senate seat in 1938. He occupied significant positions such as Secretary-General of the Royal Properties Authority within the Ministry of Finance and acted as government liaison to both the Suez Canal Company and National Bank of Egypt.
His brother René assumed presidency of the Cairo Sephardic Leadership Council in 1943, served as a parliamentary member, and oversaw multiple economic initiatives. Between 1931 and 1936, René authored a three-volume historical work on Muhammad Ali’s reign. Youssef Qatawi was a co-founder of the Egyptian Society for Jewish Historical Studies.
Both siblings departed Egypt in 1957, settling in Europe.[3]
George Qatawi
The final notable figure from the Qatawi lineage, George Qatawi, dedicated his efforts to literary scholarship, producing analyses on both English and French literary works and composing poetry in the French language. He embraced Catholicism, aligning with a pattern observed among Egyptian Sephardic Jewish intellectuals who abandoned their original faith.
Other members
The family connection extended to French author Edmond Jabès, who became affiliated through his marriage to Arlette Cohen, the granddaughter of Moses Qatawi.