Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris plans $50 billion U.S. infrastructure investment

Egyptian billionaire and chairman of OCI Global Nassef Sawiris is moving to reshape his global business empire with plans to channel as much as $50 billion into U.S. infrastructure projects. Sawiris, who owns English Premier League club Aston Villa, is also preparing to consolidate his publicly traded companies in Abu Dhabi, reflecting a shift in both geography and strategy.

At the center of this transformation is the breakup of his Dutch-listed chemicals and fertilizer group, OCI Global. Over the past two years, OCI has sold more than $11.6 billion worth of assets, clearing the way for a merger with Orascom Construction. The combined firm will be listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, marking a decisive move after Sawiris relocated to the United Arab Emirates and Italy, following changes to tax rules in the United Kingdom.

Betting on Infrastructure

The restructured group will focus heavily on U.S. opportunities, with an eye on sectors such as data centers and large-scale infrastructure. Orascom plans to deploy its own capital alongside partner funding, using both equity and credit models. The firm, which has more than $1 billion in cash from recent divestments, is positioning itself to benefit from Washington’s renewed spending push. 

“We want to focus the next stage of our business on the area we see the biggest opportunity, which is infrastructure,” Sawiris told the Financial Times. He noted that construction-led firms like France’s Vinci and Spain’s Ferrovial often outperform private equity-backed rivals that lean too heavily on financial engineering. Orascom already has a presence in the United States through Weitz, its Iowa-based subsidiary acquired in 2012, which has built data centers, airport terminals and university housing.

Track record of bold moves

The pivot is the latest in a string of major business shifts by Sawiris. He previously led Orascom’s cement division before selling it to France’s Lafarge in 2007 for more than €10 billion. More recently, OCI sold its global methanol business to U.S. producer Methanex for $1.6 billion in June 2025.

Between Orascom’s listing in 1999 and the end of 2024, Orascom and OCI generated a combined internal rate of return of more than 39 percent and distributed over $22 billion in dividends, according to a KPMG audit.

The Sawiris family continues to exert influence through OS Private Trust Company, which owns 54.86 percent of Orascom. Nassef Sawiris personally controls 42.36 percent, or about 46.7 million shares, keeping the business closely tied to its founders. 

Nassef Sawiris builds legacy in clean energy

Under Nassef Sawiris, OCI Global has grown into a multinational producer with operations across four continents and an annual capacity of 17.2 million metric tons. The company has been investing heavily in low-carbon initiatives, from supplying fertilizers to European carbon farming programs to completing a first-of-its-kind ammonia bunkering pilot in Rotterdam, a step toward advancing clean maritime fuel.

Sawiris, who owns a 38.8 percent stake in OCI Global, has an estimated net worth of $9.66 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. At 64, he is the youngest son of the late Onsi Sawiris, who built the Orascom business group in the 1950s and laid the foundation for one of Egypt’s most prominent family enterprises.

In August, OCI approved a $700 million payout to shareholders as part of a wider restructuring effort. The move came as Orascom Construction, another Sawiris-linked company, prepares to shift its primary listing from Nasdaq Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in September. The transition underscores the group’s commitment to Gulf markets while keeping an eye on opportunities in Europe and beyond.