Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris aims to invest $50 billion in US infrastructure.

Sawiris Plans Major US Infrastructure Investment

Egypt’s richest individual, Sawiris, is setting his sights on investing as much as $500 billion into infrastructure projects across the United States. He’s currently merging a publicly traded holding firm in Abu Dhabi with significant profits from his business endeavors.

In addition to owning the English Football Club Aston Villa, Sawiris is wrapping up the dissolution of OCI Global, a Dutch chemical and fertilizer company that has divested more than $11.6 billion worth of assets in the last two years.

Having reduced his asset sales, he is now integrating OCI into his family legacy business, Orascom Construction, with the announcement made recently.

The newly formed entity will be listed in Abu Dhabi. Following a notable departure from the UK market, Sawiris has expanded Redomiciil into the Emirates and Italy.

The focus of this venture will be investment in US infrastructure. The country is poised to benefit from rising expenditures in sectors like data centers, leveraging Orascom’s construction experience along with OCI’s financial resources.

The plan involves utilizing both the company’s own capital and outside investment funds for infrastructure investments in the US, through a combination of equity and credit over the next ten years.

According to Sawiris, “We want to zero in on areas where we see the largest opportunities in infrastructure.” He mentioned that Orascom has a competitive edge similar to successful firms like Vinci in France, owing to its extensive experience in construction and project management.

“These companies will consistently outperform bankers who are just trying to analyze their assets and extract maximum value,” he stated.

In recent years, private capital firms have become heavily involved in infrastructure, with BlackRock GIP and Brookfield Asset Management leading the charge.

However, some industrialists have expressed concerns, noting to the Financial Times that this year may mark a downturn for the private equity sector.

Orascom is already active in US infrastructure initiatives through its subsidiary Weitz, which was acquired in 2012. Weitz is engaged in constructing data centers, airport terminals, university housing, and more.

With a net worth of around $9 billion, Sawiris is the youngest son of the late Onsi Sawiris, who started a construction business in the 1950s that eventually grew into what is now Orascom.

This latest development underscores a significant shift in Sawiris’ career focus, moving away from chemicals and his initial cement ventures. He had previously sold more than a billion euros in assets to the French firm Lafarge in 2007.

According to a KPMG audit, OCI and Orascom achieved an impressive internal return rate exceeding 39% from Orascom’s initial public offering in 1999 through to its latest listing in 2024, disbursing over $22 billion in dividends to shareholders.

Last year, OCI offloaded its global methanol operations to the US company MetaNex for roughly $2 billion, marking the fourth significant transaction since it initiated a strategic review in 2023.