Egypt's new prime minister in face of huge challenges

Egypt’s new Prime Minister Essam Sharaf assumed his position at the toughest time as the country is facing numerous challenges in the transitional period and struggling with the remnants of the regime ousted by the Jan. 25 revolution. However, Sharaf is seen as the right person at the right time.

“Sharaf is a very balanced character,” said Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al al-Sheikh, professor of water engineering at the Riyadh-based King Saud University, where Sharaf worked as an assistant professor from 1990 till 1996.

“He was very active and very enthusiastic,” he told AlArabiya.net. “He was also very popular among his colleagues and students.”

Al-Sheikh added that although Sharaf did not talk about politics a lot and had never imagined he would be chosen for such a top political position as the prime minister of Egypt.

“The conversations we had were basically about teaching, students, and academic issues.”

Sharaf obtained his BSc. from Cairo University’s Faculty of Engineering in 1975. He got his Masters degree in 1980 and his PhD. degree in 1984 from Purdue University, where he also worked as a visiting professor before going back to Cairo University to work as an assistant professor of road engineering.

Al-Sheikh met Sharaf in 1992 and got to know him closely for three years which they spent in different academic, social and sports events.

“What many people don’t know about Sharaf is that he played football and was a very good striker. We used to play together at the university playground then we used to drink tea and talk about several social and academic issues.”

According to al-Sheikh, Sharaf was one of the few people who maintained strong relations with several official bodies in Saudi Arabia, especially the Ministry of Transportation.

Back to Egypt

After Sharaf went back to Egypt, he kept in touch with al-Sheikh as well as his colleagues and students at Purdue University.

“He hosted me dozens of times when I visited Cairo whether before or after he became minister of transportation. Assuming political positions never changed him. He has always been very modest and welcoming.”

Sharaf was appointed advisor to the minister of transportation in 1999 and in 2004 he became minister of transportation, but only stayed a year and two months.

“When he became minister of transportation, he was very optimistic and hoped he would solve traffic and congestion problems especially in Cairo, yet he only spent a short time at the ministry.”

Sharaf resigned from the ministry of transportation in the wake of a series of road accidents that killed many Egyptians and admitted to his political responsibility. That is why he is widely-respected in Egypt.

After being appointed prime minister of Egypt, the Civil Engineering Department at the King Saud University sent Sharaf an email congratulating him and wishing him the best of luck in his new mission.

“We wished him the best of luck in choosing members of his cabinet and in leading Egypt through this difficult time.”

Essam Sharaf is one of the few former ministers who openly declared support for the Jan. 25 revolution and he is said to have joined the protests in Tahrir Sqaure in Downtown Cairo before former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down.

He also led university professors in marches calling for the ouster of the regime and the establishment of a democracy.


(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)