Former Egyptian prime minister Kamal El-Ganzoury passed away on Wednesday morning in Cairo after a long struggle with illness in hospital, his family said.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi mourned El Ganzoury's death in a short statement, saying the late premier was a noble man with high morals and dedicated to supporting the nation in critical times.

Following its meeting on Wednesday, the cabinet expressed Egypt’s appreciation of El-Ganzoury's patriotic role in serving the government for many years, including two premiership, describing him as a role model.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly mourned the death of El-Ganzoury, saying that Egypt has lost a prominent economist, a generous man, a responsible role model, and an icon in management and planning.

Late PM El-Ganzoury was born in January 1933 in Menoufiya governorate. After graduating from Cairo University's Faculty of Agriculture, El-Ganzoury received a PhD in economics from the University of Michigan in 1950.

He started his political career as an adviser to late president Anwar El-Sadat in the 1970s. He was appointed governor of the New Valley governorate in 1976 and of Beni Suef in 1977, resigning six months later. 

He headed the National Planning Institute in the same year. 

In 1982, El-Ganzoury was appointed as the minister of planning under the late president Hosni Mubarak.

In 1984, he became the minister of international cooperation and then deputy prime minister from November 1986 to January 1996.

El-Ganzoury served as Egypt’s prime minister from January 1996 to October 1999, during which he adopted economic reform policies, including the privatisation of the public sector companies and factories. His moves were both commended and criticised. 

Following the ouster of Mubarak, El-Ganzoury was appointed prime minister by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces from November 2011 to June 2012 after the election of late president Mohamed Morsi.

El-Ganzoury is survived by a wife and three daughters.