Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris has unveiled a plan to invest $50 billion in United States infrastructure projects, signaling a major strategic pivot for his global business empire. The move coincides with a significant corporate restructuring that will see his family’s investment activities increasingly centered in Abu Dhabi.
A Strategic Pivot To Abu Dhabi
The investment initiative is underpinned by the merger of OCI Global, a chemicals and fertilizer group, with the family’s legacy firm, Orascom Construction. The newly combined entity is set to be listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). This structural shift accompanies Sawiris’s decision to relocate his family investment office, NNS Group, from Luxembourg to Abu Dhabi. He has also moved his personal residency from London after more than 15 years, citing recent changes to the UK’s tax policies for non-domiciled residents.
Targeting The US Infrastructure Boom
Sawiris plans to leverage Orascom’s extensive construction expertise to invest in sectors such as data centers, airports, and university housing. He believes his firm’s hands-on experience provides a distinct advantage over financial institutions that dominate the private capital landscape. “We are focusing the next phase of our business on infrastructure, as it represents the biggest growth opportunity,” Sawiris stated in an interview with the Financial Times. “Unlike some financial institutions that analyze from their desks without creating real value, we have deep expertise in building.”
Leveraging A Construction Legacy
Orascom Construction, founded by Sawiris’s late father Onsi Sawiris in the 1950s, already has an established presence in the US through its subsidiary Weitz, which it acquired in 2012. The company has a track record of executing major projects, including airport terminals and data centers, providing a strong foundation for the new large-scale investment push. The plan will be seeded with over $1 billion in cash and remaining assets from OCI’s balance sheet following a series of divestments.
About NNS Group
NNS Group is the family office and primary investment vehicle of billionaire Nassef Sawiris. Previously based in Luxembourg, the firm has recently relocated its headquarters to Abu Dhabi to serve as the strategic hub for managing the family’s global portfolio, with a renewed focus on large-scale infrastructure projects.
Source: Rowad Al Aamal
