Ahmed Abu Ismail (1915–2013) was an Egyptian economist and politician who served as minister of finance in the 1970s.[1][2]

Ahmed Abu Ismail
Minister of Finance
In office
16 April 1975 – 19 November 1976
PresidentAnwar Sadat
Prime MinisterMamdouh Salem
Preceded byMohammed Hamdi El Nashar
Succeeded byMohammed Salah Eldeen
Personal details
BornMarch 1915
Samannud, Sultanate of Egypt
DiedMay 2013 (aged 97–98)
Resting placeSamannud
Political partyNew Wafd Party
Alma materUniversity of Manchester

Early life and education

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Ismail was born in Samannud in March 1915.[3] He hailed from a wealthy middle-class family.[4] He attended the University of Manchester and obtained a PhD in transport economics in 1938.[3]

Career

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Following his graduation Ismail worked at the University of London and returned to Egypt in 1948.[3] Then he worked at an Egyptian university.[3] He established the college of commerce of Kuwait University in 1968.[3] Ismail supported a liberal economy approach and harshly criticized the inefficiency of the Egyptian public sector.[4]

Although Ismail acted as the leader of opponents of the public economy policy implemented by President Anwar Sadat, he was appointed finance minister on 16 April 1975, replacing Mohammed Hamdi El Nashar in the post.[5] The cabinet was led by Prime Minister Mamdouh Salem.[6]

Ismail adhered to a liberal economic approach, but he was an advocate of the price control and the increased level of subsidies to improve the economy of Egypt when he was in office.[7] Ismail's tenure ended on 19 November 1976 when he was dismissed due to his opposition over the policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund.[4] The Economy Minister Zaki Shafei was also removed from office on the same date due to the same reason.[4] Mohammed Salah Eldeen Hamid became finance minister replacing Ismail in the post.[5] Then Ismail was named as the head of the Far East Bank in Cairo and served at the Parliament as a member of the New Wafd Party.[3]

Death and legacy

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Ismail died in May 2013 and was buried in his hometown, Samannud.[3] A district in Samannud was named after him in September 2013.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Egypt. The Politics of Economic Strategy". Country Data. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. ^ Gamal Essam El Din (6–12 December 2001). "The Central Bank in the saddle". Al Ahram Weekly. No. 563. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "وفاة أحمد أبو إسماعيل وزير مالية مصر في عهد السادات". Albawabh News (in Arabic). 20 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Raymond A. Hinnebusch (April 1981). "Egypt under Sadat: Elites, Power Structure, and Political Change in a Post-Populist State". Social Problems. 28 (4): 455–456. doi:10.2307/800057. JSTOR 800057.
  5. ^ a b "Ministry of Finance In Brief". Ministry of Finance. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  6. ^ "Chronology February 16, 1975-May 15, 1975". The Middle East Journal. 29 (3): 334. 1975. JSTOR 4325381.
  7. ^ Raymond A. Jr. Hinnebusch (1988). Egyptian Politics Under Sadat. Boulder, CO; London: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 134. doi:10.1515/9781685855550. ISBN 9781685855550.
  8. ^ "إطلاق اسم وزير المالية الأسبق أحمد أبو إسماعيل على حى بسمنود تكريمًا له". Youm7 (in Arabic). 25 September 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2021.