• Nassef Sawiris is merging OCI Global with Orascom to focus on US infrastructure, backed by USD 1B  in available cash.
• The Egyptian billionaire plans USD 50B in equity and credit investments over the next decade targeting data centers and construction.
• Sawiris has redomiciled to Abu Dhabi and Italy after exiting the UK, shifting Orascom’s listing to the Abu Dhabi market.

Sawiris

Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris plans to channel as much as USD 50 billion into USD infrastructure projects over the next decade. The move comes as he merges his Dutch-listed company OCI Global into Abu Dhabi-listed Orascom Construction.

The deal, set to be announced Monday, marks a major pivot for Sawiris. It follows USD 11.6 billion in asset sales by OCI over the past two years. The shift also follows Sawiris’s relocation. He recently redomiciled to Abu Dhabi and Italy, joining other billionaires leaving the UK after recent tax changes. 

The newly merged company will be listed in Abu Dhabi, further rooting his operations in the Gulf. The combined company will carry more than USD 1 billion in cash and proceeds, fueling investments in data centers, airport terminals, and other infrastructure.

Infrastructure 

The company plans to invest its own capital and partner’s fund in US infrastructure via equity and credit investment in the coming decade.

Sawiris told the Financial Times that infrastructure is the “biggest opportunity” ahead. He argues that construction-driven firms like Orascom, have an advantage from its experience in construction and project management over investment funds that lack hands-on experience.

Orascom is not new to the US market. Its subsidiary Weitz, acquired in 2012, has built major projects ranging from university housing to airport terminals. The new focus doubles down on that track record, with Sawiris looking to leverage both equity and credit financing.

Sawiris, worth an estimated USD 9 billion, is no stranger to big bets. He previously sold Orascom Cement to Lafarge for EUR 10 billion in 2007. This latest pivot cements his focus on infrastructure, positioning Orascom to compete with global players while tapping into America’s massive investment wave.