At least a dozen business tycoons are contesting Egypt’s parliamentary elections this month, with members of business associations generally standing on the ticket of the four pro-government political parties Mostaqbal Watan, Homat Watan, the National Front, and the People’s Republican.
Others are unaffiliated entrepreneurs running as independents.
A recent study of the “Development of Business Seats in Parliament” concluded that businessmen in Egypt began to seek parliamentary seats in the early 1990s with the switch to a fully-fledged market economy.
In the 1995-2000 parliament, at least 20 high-profile businessmen were able to win seats, with some chairing influential committees in the then People’s Assembly and Shura Council. The numbers increased with the 2000 and 2005 elections.
According to the study, prepared by political researcher Mohamed Sayed Ahmed, there were around 17 prominent businessmen in the 2005 parliament, increasing to 30 in the 2010 People’s Assembly. Most of these were members of the defunct ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
After four years of political instability in Egypt, businessmen began to return to parliament in 2015, with that year’s House of Representatives showing a significant increase in numbers.
“There were about 40 businessmen who owned companies, but the number increases if we add 28 chairs of the boards of private companies and factories, and 23 MPs who held memberships of the boards of directors of private companies, factories, and institutions,” the study said.
It indicates that this year the Mostaqbal Watan Party-led National Unified List for Egypt Coalition includes at least eight important businessmen.
“The picture looks somewhat similar to the Senate elections, where businessmen dominated the lists, especially the so-called National Unified List for Egypt led by the two political parties of Mostaqbal Watan and Homat Watan that included around 20 heavyweight businessmen,” the study said.
“Most of the businessmen contesting the House of Representatives elections are also affiliated with Mostaqbal Watan and Homat Watan, in addition to some running as independents.”
The study said that the fact that businessmen are leading candidates running for the National Unified List for Egypt Coalition demonstrates the significant influence of money in Egypt’s political life.
“The adoption of the closed party list system in the elections has led to the creation of the current phenomenon of money buying nominations from the political parties,” it said, indicating that “most heavyweight businessmen scrambled to run on the National Unified List for Egypt because it is sure to win unopposed.”
The study said that before the registration process opened, there was controversy surrounding the influence of political money as the primary driver behind candidacies, especially after statements made by Hanan Sharshar, a leader of the Homat Watan Party, who accused it of selling seats to businessmen and saying that she had been asked to pay LE25 million in return for running on the party’s ticket.
The major political parties deny they are fielding businessmen in the elections in return for money. Al-Sayed Al-Quseir, secretary general of the newly formed National Front Party, was cited by the study as saying that it strongly stands against the principle of “paying to be nominated.”
However, Al-Quseir does not object to businessmen supporting the party’s activities provided they do not use this to exert political influence. “This is the difference between legitimate funding and corrupt political money that vitiates the electoral scene, excludes competent people, and hinders the growth of a healthy parliamentary life,” Al-Quseir said.
For businessmen, the study said, a seat in parliament is seen as important as it can securing them immunity and give them political clout and speedy access to loans. They are able to widen the scope of their business interests and promote legislation serving the market economy, it said.
Mohamed Abul-Enein, owner of the Ceramics Cleopatra Group, used to run as an independent for the individual seat of Giza and Dokki. However, this year he chose to run on the National Unified List for Egypt as the candidate of the National Front Party in the Giza Governorate.
Abul-Enein was one of the first generation of businessmen to enter parliament. In 1995, when he was a member of the influential Egyptian-US Businessmen’s Council, he was appointed an MP by then president Hosni Mubarak.
In 2000, Abul-Enein, then a leading member of Mubarak’s now defunct ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), moved from being an appointed to an elected MP, winning the Giza district. He was made chair of parliament’s Housing Committee and later chair of the Industrial Committee. In 2020, he was made the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
Also on the National Unified List for Egypt is former housing minister Assem Al-Gazzar, who is the candidate and chair of the National Front Party. Al-Gazzar is currently chair of Neom Real Estate Development, a subsidiary of the Al-Argani Group owned by Sinai businessman Ibrahim Al-Argani
The National Unified List for Egypt also includes businessman Tarek Shoukri, head of the Al-Arabiya Holding for Tourist and Real Estate Investment. Like Abul-Enein, Shoukri used to run as an independent for the individual seat of the East Cairo district of Nasr City and Heliopolis. In 2020, he was made deputy chair of parliament’s Housing Committee.
Sherif Al-Gabali, founder and chair of the Poly Serve Company for Fertilisers and Chemicals, will also run on the Mostaqbal Watan-led National Unified List for Egypt this year. Al-Gabali was made chair of parliament’s African Affairs Committee in 2020.
Shoukri and Al-Gabali are also members of the Mostaqbal Watan Party.
Ahmed Shalabi, executive director of the MB Company for Engineering and Contracting, is another high-profile businessman fielded on the National Unified List for Egypt. Shalabi has been the parliamentary spokesman of the Homat Watan Party since 2020.
Businessmen are also seeking a foothold in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, an investor, is the Mostaqbal Watan candidate for the individual seat. Abdel-Maqsoud, an MP between 2005 and 2010 and in 2020, will be competing against seven other candidates.
Businesswomen are also standing for seats in parliament this year. Sahar Talaat Mustafa, chair of parliament’s Tourism Committee between 2015 and 2020, is running as the Mostaqbal Watan candidate on the National Unified List for Egypt in Alexandria.
Sahar is a member of the well-known Talaat Mustafa Group, which includes several tourism and contracting companies.
Nevine Al-Taheri is another businesswoman who will be running on the National Unified List for Egypt in Cairo. Al-Taheri, a board member of the Orange Telecommunications Company and the owner of several investment companies, is a member of the Mostaqbal Watan Party.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 13 November, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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