Throughout people’s life, minutes, hours, days, and years pass, some peoplelet their lives pass meaninglessly, while others turn life into an unforgettable history, engraved in people’s hearts and memories. Those who endow life with its most exalted meanings, live humanity in its true sense, sacrificing for the sake of elevating the homelands and life. This is how the life of the great goes, among whom is the deceased man of Egypt: Mohamed Farid Khamis; a man who chose to live for the service of his country; as he loved each particle of its earth and has become a great national symbol and an economic figure.
Mohamed Farid Khamis was born on 14/4/1940 in Bela city in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. He obtained Bachelor’s degree in commerce at Ain Shams University in 1961, then worked at the National Bank of Egypt, obtained a Master’s degree in industrial costs and conducted studies in the industry of textile. In 2008, he obtained the PhD at the BritishLoughborough University. He got married and was blessed with children; Yasmeen, Farida and Mohamed, he had three grandchildren: Omar, Malak and Osama.
Mohamed Farid Khamis realized that industry is the way to advanced societies; hence, he worked relentlessly until became one of the most prominent Egyptian industrialists. He founded the Orientals group; an integrated group of companies working in the field of textiles and petrochemicals, the most prominent of which at the local and international levels are the Oriental Weavers for Carpets, MAC, Oriental Weavers International, Orientals for Urban Development, Orientals for Tourism Development, Orientals for Agricultural Development, Orientals for Industrial Projects, IFFCO (fiber products), Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company, Tenth of Ramadan for Development and Educational Services. These companies work in the fields of: carpet manufacturing, fibers, spinning, petrochemicals, tourism, real estate, textiles,agricultural industries, international trade, educational activities, and are always pioneers in the Egyptian and international societies. Usually, theOriental Weavers win the award for best production in the world, as happened in Hanover in Germany, and Atlanta in America.
Not only did Mohamed Farid Khamis believe in work, production and manufacturing, but also that man is the maker of civilization and the founder of renaissances of nations as well as the progression and enlightenment of societies. He believed that the path towards real progress lies in specialized science that is the fruit of advanced scientific research. Hence, showed uphis interest in science, so he played a prominent role in founding the British University in Egypt, being its Board of Trustees Chairman, he founded El Shorouk Academy and contributed – along many years- to the enrichment of the national economy, to an extent that some called him Talaat Harb of Egypt.
He made distinguished contributions and played roles of great effects in society; he dedicated care to Upper Egypt and established many development projects and charitable works. In addition, he supported the Islamic and Christian places of worship in Egypt and abroad, contributed to promoting for the Holy Family path by manufacturing a distinguished textile collection that embodies the blessed visit to Egypt. What he did when the ancient church in the Monastery of Saint Demiana for Nuns in Belqas was burned will never be forgotten, as he sent an engineering committee of the Faculty of Engineering professors in order to repair the church and it was restored to its former state. Moreover, he printed the biography of Saint Demiana, translating it into several foreign languages. He is that patriotic loving man, the one who serves all in complete self denial!
He also established Fouad Khamis Complex for Al-Azhar Institutes, on an area of 20,000 square meters for boys’ and girls’ basic education at the Tenth of Ramadan.
Mohamed Farid Khamis held several influential important posts: Chairman of the Egyptian Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Egyptian Federation of Investors Associations and Institutions, Former Chairman of the Shura Council’s Committee of Industry, Energy and Transport, Former Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Chairman of the Arab Council for Green Economy, Member of the Supreme Investment Council headed by the President.
In addition to the above, he is the founder and president of some non-governmental organizations, such as: Mohamed Farid Khamis Foundation for Community Development, founded seventeen years ago, and is concerned with scientific excellence, especially the top students of Secondary education, and Khamis Foundation for Development, which isconcerned about projects to serve the Tenth of Ramadan city, transporting approximately 6,500 students daily from their residence to their universities for free, and he established Khamis Charitable Hospital to serve its people. He was honored internationally: in 2008, the Crown Prince of Belgium then (currently the king) awarded him the highest Belgian merit.
He was concerned about Egypt, always thinking about it and striving for its stability, putting all his experiences for its prosperity. On 9/19/2020, he departed from our world in the United States of America, after struggling with illness. May God rest his soul and console his family and loved ones, inasmuch as he greatly influenced industry, science and development. And … stories never end in Beautiful Egypt!
The General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
