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EPISODE #

81

The families that shaped MENA and what lies ahead for them?

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About this episode

I sat down with Farida El Agamy, an entrepreneur, a lawyer and expert on the MENA family business landscape, to get a peak into the rise and challenges of the families that shaped our region from the Almajdouie and Zamil families in Saudi Arabia, to W.J. Towell in Oman, the Sawiris in Egypt and Juma Al Majid in the UAE and many more. Those family businesses grew to become multifaceted conglomerates employing thousands and creating a considerable economic and social impact across the region.

Farida shares insights from her extensive research work at Tharawat Family Business Forum, highlighting the critical importance of succession planning, governance, and the role of women in family businesses. We explored the rise of single-family offices, how investment strategies are evolving across generations, and the increasing importance of sustainability. Throughout our discussion, we kept circling back to one question: how will the 3rd or 4th generation of family business owners navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world?

To learn more about family businesses in MENA visit Tharawat’s website and to read more about the families that shaped MENA click here or connect with Farida on LinkedIn

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Farida F. El Agamy

guest profile

Farida F. El Agamy

Farida F. El Agamy is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and governance expert and currently the General Manager of the Tharawat Family Business Forum, the private network and knowledge hub for family-owned companies in the Middle East and North Africa.

Farida is Editor-at-Large of Tharawat Magazine, an award-winning global publication on family business and entrepreneurship. She is also the co-founder of Women in Family Business, a global leadership platform.

Under Farida’s leadership, Tharawat developed a variety of programs around leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainability of family firms. She runs research projects such as Family business histories and initiatives with a goal to empower family-owned companies across the MENA and beyond.

Farida has also widely worked with startups and family firms on governance and transformation and was a special advisor to various family business Boards of Directors. In 2019, she co-founded Kyma, a manufacturing start-up focusing on sustainable FMCG products.

Farida is a 2nd generation family business member and a Director at Target Developments LLC and Orbis Terra LLC, her family’s firms in Switzerland.

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