Sawiris family
| Company type | Conglomerate |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications, Construction, Tourism, Industrial enterprises, Technology |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Onsi Sawiris |
Key people | Naguib Sawiris, Nassef Sawiris, Samih Sawiris |
| Products | Telecommunications, Construction, Tourism, Industrial enterprises, Technology |
| Owner | Sawiris family |
The Sawiris family () is a prominent Egyptian Coptic Christian lineage that controls the Orascom conglomerate, which operates across sectors such as telecommunications, construction, tourism, industrial enterprises, and technology. In 2008, their net worth was assessed by Forbes at approximately US$36 billion.
Orascom was established in 1950 by the family’s founder and patriarch, Onsi Sawiris (1930–2021). The conglomerate comprises several key subsidiaries: Orascom Telecom Holding and Orascom Technology Solutions (OTS), both overseen by Naguib Sawiris; Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), managed by Nassef Sawiris; and Orascom Hotels and Development (OHD), under the leadership of Samih Sawiris.
Principal members of the family involved in managing these enterprises include:
- Naguib Sawiris (born 1954)
- Samih Sawiris (born 1957)
- Nassef Sawiris (born 1961)
- Yousriya Loza Sawiris (born 1935)
- Sherine Magar-Sawiris
- Naguib Samih Sawiris
- Onsi Naguib Sawiris Jr.
Naguib Sawiris has made significant investments in Egypt’s leading mobile operator Mobinil and has extended his telecommunications ventures into countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and North Korea. His global portfolio also includes stakes in Italy’s Wind Telecomunicazioni and Canada’s Globalive Wireless, which operates Wind Mobile. Additionally, he holds ownership of influential Egyptian media outlets including the newspaper Almasry Alyoum and the television network OTV.
On 20 July 2018, Nassef Sawiris acquired a substantial shareholding in the English football club Aston Villa F.C. through NSWE, an investment consortium he co-founded with American billionaire Wes Edens.
The family actively promotes economic growth and social progress through the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (), which administers initiatives such as the Sawiris Foundation Awards for Egyptian Literature.