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Essam Sharaf

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Essam Sharaf
عصام شرف
File:Essam-sharaf.jpg
Prime Minister of Egypt
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 March 2011
PresidentHussein Tantawi (Acting)
DeputyYehia El-Gamal
Preceded byAhmed Shafik
Succeeded byKamal Ganzouri (Designate)
Minister of Transportation
In office
1 June 2004 – 15 December 2005
Prime MinisterAhmed Nazif
Preceded byHamdy El-Shayeb
Succeeded byMohamed Mansour
Personal details
BornFebruary 1952 (age 72)
Giza, Egypt
Political partyIndependent (2005–present)
Other political
affiliations		National Democratic Party (Before 2005)
Alma materCairo University
Purdue University
ProfessionCivil engineer

Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf (Arabic: عصام عبد العزيز شرف, IPA: [ʕeˈsˤɑːm ʕæbdelʕæˈziːz ʃɑɾˤɑf]; born 1952) is an Egyptian academic and politician who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since March 3, 2011; previously he was Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.

Early life and education

Sharaf was born in the Egyptian city of Giza in 1952.[1] After receiving his B.Sc. in civil engineering from Cairo University in 1975, he went to Purdue University where he continued his studies, receiving his M.Sc. Engg in 1980 and his Ph.D. in 1984.[2]

Political and academic career

Sharaf took a post as a visiting assistant professor at Purdue in 1984 before becoming assistant professor of Highway and Traffic Engineering at the University of Cairo the following year. In 1990, he was an assistant professor in Civil Engineering at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. He returned to the University of Cairo in 1991, becoming a professor of Highway Engineering in 1996 while working as senior advisor for the Transportation & Aviation department in Zuhair Fayez Partnership (ZFP) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sharaf was the senior adviser to the Egyptian Minister of Transport in 1999 and the Senior Technical Adviser to the municipality of Al Ain in the UAE in 2003.[2]

He served as Egyptian Minister of Transportation from July 13, 2004 to December 31, 2005. He resigned due to differences that cropped up between him and Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif. Nazif decided to put the Egypt Engineers Association under state control, a move that meant confiscation of union funds and property by the government.[3][4][5] Sharaf later claimed that these events led to the Qalyoub rail accident in 2006.

Following his resignation, Sharaf returned to academia, accepting a post at Cairo University, where he remained a vocal critic of the Mubarak regime, particularly with respect to its handling of Egypt's public transportation infrastructure.[6] During this time he also served as an advisor to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, and established the Egypt Scientific Society together with Mohamed ElBaradei, Ahmed Zewail and other Egyptian scientists.

2011 events

Sharaf with President of the United States, Barack Obama

Sharaf was present and active at the Tahrir square protests during the 2011 Revolution, which endeared him to the leaders of the democracy movement and led them to suggest his name to the Military Council as a possible replacement for Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik.[7]

He was asked by Egypt's governing military council to form a government on 3 March 2011, following Shafik's resignation.[8][9] On 4 March, he addressed crowds of pro-democracy activists at Tahrir Square shortly after Friday prayers, an unusual move for an Egyptian politician.[10] Sharaf appeared on stage with Mohamed Beltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood leader. In his speech he said "I draw my legitimacy from you" and reiterated his commitment to democratic transition, but pleaded for patience. It is noted that he is the first Egyptian prime minister to give a monthly State-of-the-Union address (since Aziz Sedki 1972-1973).[10] Following further unrest leading up to Parliamentary elections in November 2011, Sharaf resigned and ceded full power to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces on November 21, 2011.

Political views

Sharaf is noted for strongly opposing normalization of ties with Israel. He considers the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict to be a prerequisite to cooperation between the two states.[1]

Awards

  • The State Encouragemental Prize in Engineering Sciences from the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology in 1987 and 1997
  • First Class Medal of Excellence from the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak in 1995 [2]
  • Cairo University Incentive Award for Scientific Excellence in Engineering in 1997
  • Egyptian State Prize in Engineering Sciences, 1997
  • Excellence Award in Engineering from Purdue University, America in 2005 [2]
  • Man of the Year Award (Rafiq Hariri Award), Beirut in 2006
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK in 2007
  • Certificate of Merit from the Cairo University in the Celebration of Scientists Day in 1988 and 1998 [2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Meet Essam Sharaf: Egypt's first post-revolution Prime Minister". Ahram online. Retrieved 4 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e "Purdue University Profile of Essam Sharaf". Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  3. ^ "Essam Sharaf's biography". 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011. (in Arabic)
  4. ^ "Factbox: Essam Sharaf chosen as Egypt's new prime minister". Reuters. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Egypt's prime minister resigns". Al-Jazeera English. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Essam Sharaf appointed Egypt's new PM". Ahram on-line. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  7. ^ "Egypte: le Premier ministre remplacé, satisfaction des opposants". Euronews (in French). 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Egypt's prime minister Ahmed Shafiq resigns". BBC News. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Bowing to opposition, Egypt premier resigns". The New York Times. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  10. ^ a b "New Egypt PM addresses crowds in Tahrir Square". Hindustan Times. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Egypt
2011 		Succeeded by

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