The previous article started tackling the life of the departed Engineer Onsi Naguib Sawiris, the self-made businessman who managed, through effort and determination, to turn a humble company into a huge economic entity, we have also tackled his concern with education, he believed that education offers a promise of a better life. Thus, he was concerned about education and culture on a large scale which has gone far beyond his family members, so his interest and care for the talented came through “Onsi Sawiris Student Program”, which provides the necessary funding for academically distinguished Egyptian school students, where 90 distinguished Egyptians were able to continue studying to obtain university and post-graduate degrees at prestigious colleges in the United States of America, in fields that would enhance the economic prosperity of Egypt.
As for Eng. Onsi Sawiris, he was characterized by extreme intelligence, accuracy, keenness in all works, fun, spontaneity, lack of love for appearances, and belief that God gives him the best in his life. Likewise, he never changed his demands, his food, and the aspects of his life. God has endowed him with intuition to distinguish a good person from a bad one, and he was known for completely forget the offense. He gave his children entire freedom to choose and act, after enrooting three qualities in them: fear of God, honesty, and hard work.
Eng. Onsi was also marked with wisdom, so he was able to build his life and the life of his family very wisely, as the Bible mentions: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding.” Wisdom is the basis of the virtues that a person acquires, and it is not equivalent in value to any human possession. Eng. Onsi was loving and gentle, he created several charitable projects in Cairo and Upper Egypt for the poor and the needy, he was also concerned with the societal projects that created job opportunities for the youth.
He maintained great love for Egypt, he worked with love for its sake, to build it up, and to raise it up; he even departed for Libya, but finally returned to live on its land, building its glory, leaving behind the past, and when he was subjected to harassment, he refused to leave it.
Eng. Onsi Sawiris held many positions:
- Honorary Chairman and Board Member of Non-Executive Directors of “Orascom Construction and Industry”.
- Chairman of Orascom Construction and Industry.
- Member of the Board of Directors of Orascom Hotels and Development Company.
- President of Orascom Trading Company.
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Al-Salam Hospital in Mohandessin”.
- Member of the Board of Directors of “Orascom Hotels and Development Projects”.
- Member of the Board of Directors of “Orascom Technological Systems”.
- Member of the Board of Directors of “Orascom Telecom”.
- Adviser to the Board of Trustees of the “Sawiris Foundation for Social Development”.
- President of the “Young Men’s Christian Association in Egypt”.
- President of the “Egyptian Scandinavian Businessmen Association”.
- Honorary Chairman and Board Member of the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (formerly Mobinil).
- Member of the Board of Directors of “Misr Exterior Bank” (formerly).
- Member of the Board of Directors of the “Pharaonic Insurance Company” (formerly).
Eng. Onsi Sawiris deserved to be honored with a number of awards and honors, including:
- The King Leopold Medal from King Albert II of Belgium, November 1998.
- The Royal Polar Star Medal of Sweden, its highest order, in the presence of Princess Victoria of Sweden, April 2007.
- The Belgian National Medal “The Order of the Crown”, from King Albert II of Belgium, May 2008.
- Honorary Doctorate from Glasgow University, for his charitable contributions, May 2010.
- Honor from the “Egyptian Federation of Construction and Building Contractors”, November 2014, as one of the most prominent Egyptian businessmen, and the founder and president of the “Orascom” group.
- Pope Shenouda III Award for Wisdom, 2015.
The life of Eng. Onsi Sawiris is a journey filled with hope and light for those around, which trails are followed by all who wish to walk the path of true success. Indeed, “what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others and for the world remains immortal.” Eng. Onsi Sawiris will remain a prominent Egyptian figure in the memory of Egyptian history. May the Lord repose his soul and give solace to his family and his loved ones, and… Stories in beautiful Egypt never end!
The General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
