Orascom Construction Explained

Orascom Construction PLC
Former Name:Orascom Onsi Sawiris & Co.
Type:Public
Industry:Construction, engineering
Key People:Jérôme Guiraud, Chairman
Osama Bishai, CEO
Revenue Year:2022
Operating Income: US$154.7 million
Income Year:2022
Net Income: US$134.3 million
Net Income Year:2022
Assets Year:2022
Equity: US$691.3 million
Equity Year:2022
Foundation:1976
Location:Cairo, Egypt

Orascom Construction PLC (OC; اوراسكوم للإنشاء والصناعه) is an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor based in Cairo, Egypt. The company was Egypt's first multinational corporation and stands at the core of the Orascom Group companies. OC is active in more than 25 countries.[1]

History

OC was established in Egypt in 1976 and then owned by Onsi Sawiris. As of 2007, it owned and operated cement plants in Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, North Korea and Spain, which had a combined annual production capacity of tens of millions of tonnes.[2] OC was the second company formed by Sawiris, having previously opened another construction company in Upper Egypt in 1950 which was nationalized under Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1961.[3]

In December 2007, OC announced the divestment of its cement group, Orascom Building Materials Holding (OBMH), the holding company for its cement group assets, to the French Lafarge.[4]

In July 2011, Orascom Construction won a $450 million bid in Saudi Arabia.[5]

In September 2012, Orascom Construction expanded in the US by building a nitrogen fertilizer plant in Iowa and buying out The Weitz Company.[6] [7] In 2013, Cascade Investment invested $1 billion in Orascom Construction.[8] Following this investment, a Netherlands-based company, OCI NV, was created, and became the parent company of Orascom Construction.[9]

In March 2015, Orascom Construction shares started trading at the Dubai Financial Market and Cairo's Egyptian Exchange.[10]

In July 2018, Orascom Construction partnered with Engie to build the largest wind farm in Egypt.[11] In May 2019, the consortium Bombardier Inc., Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors won the contract to build two monorail lines in Cairo.[12]

Sanctions

In 2013, Orascom Group agreed to pay up to $1 billion in tax fines to the Egyptian tax collector following irregularities in the 2007 sale to Lafarge.[9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Orascom Construction seals $1.3bln contracts in Q3. October 7, 2019. Zawya.
  2. Web site: July 16, 2007 . Orascom Construction Industries S.A.E. announces OCI Invests in DPRK Cement . https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095352/http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/orascom-construction-industries-sae-announces-oci-invests-in-dprk-cement-lse-orsd-751320.htm . 2018-11-20 . Market Wired.
  3. News: 2023-08-28 . Nassef Sawiris Bloomberg Billionaires Index . en . Bloomberg.com . 2023-08-29.
  4. News: Hollinger . Peggy . England . Andrew . Lafarge buys Orascom Cement for €10bn. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/QF87q . 2022-12-11 . live . subscription . 10 December 2007 . . 21 September 2015.
  5. Web site: Egypt's Orascom Construction wins $450m of Saudi projects. Arabian Business. 7 July 2011. 29 May 2019.
  6. Web site: Orascom Construction to expand in US. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/5YxHh . 2022-12-11 . live. subscription. Financial Times. 6 September 2012. Heba Saleh. 29 May 2019.
  7. Web site: Watts Constructors' parent being bought by Orascom Construction Industries. Biz Journals. 6 September 2012. 29 May 2019.
  8. News: Bill Gates Group Invests $1 Billion in Orascom Construction. 2013-01-19. Bloomberg.com. 2017-04-12.
  9. Web site: Orascom settles Egyptian tax dispute. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/5lMIO . 2022-12-11 . live. subscription. Financial Times. 30 April 2013. Heba Saleh. 29 May 2019.
  10. Web site: Orascom Construction shares begin trading in Dubai. Construction Week Online. 9 March 2015. Michael Fahy. 29 May 2019.
  11. Web site: Orascom Construction will build the largest windfarm in Egypt. Global Construction. 24 July 2018. Catherine Sturman. 29 May 2019.
  12. Web site: Bombardier Transportation consortium preferred bidder in $4.5B Cairo monorail. 660 News. 27 May 2019. 29 May 2019.