Opposing Opinions Regarding Arab Contractor’s New CEO

The presidential decree appointing Osama El Husseiny as the CEO of Arab Contractors, after Eng. Ibrahim Mahlab has left office, was resented by the employees and engineers at the company, given that the Minister of Housing Dr. Tarek Wafiq did not consider nominating one of the company’s cadres to take up the position.

The company’s staff considered that decision as an attempt from the “Muslim Brotherhood” to dominate the rest of the country’s bodies, stressing that the company seeks professional cadres, regardless of their “affiliations.” Nevertheless, a few number of employees believe that this choice is “natural” in light of the “policy” adopted by Arab Contractors years ago, highlighting that Eng. Mahlab was a member of the National party as well.

On the other hand,  the company’s intermediate leaders described these objections as “welfare,” stating that the company has important obligations inside and outside the country, which necessitates urgent cooperation between the employees and any new leadership.

Osama El Husseiny is a professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Zagazig University, from which the president and a number of ministers have graduated. El Husseiny owns an office for consultancy services, and was responsible for designing and supervising a number of major projects, including Shubra Al Khaimah subway. Given that his father, El Husseiny Abdel-Salam, was a Major General at the Egyptian army Corps of Engineers, some people have described him as having affiliations to the Muslim Brotherhood political party as well as to the military institution.