Hisham Zazou

Hisham Zazou (Arabic: هشام زعزوع‎; born 1954) is an Egyptian businessman and politician who has been serving as the minister of tourism since 2012.[1][2] He was one of the ministers who are not affiliated with an Islamist party in the Qandil cabinet.[3] Zazou remained in his post in the interim government of Egypt,[4] until he was replaced by Khaled Abbas Rami.[5] He was reappointed on 19 September 2015.[6]

Hisham Zaazou
Minister of Tourism
Assumed office
19 September 2015
PresidentAbdel Fattah el-Sisi
Prime MinisterSherif Ismail
Preceded byKhaled Abbas Rami
In office
2 August 2012 – 5 March 2015
PresidentMohamad Morsi
Adly Mansour
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Prime MinisterHesham Qandil
Hazem Al Beblawi
Ibrahim Mahlab
Preceded byMounir Fakhry Abdel Nour
Succeeded byKhaled Abbas Rami
Personal details
Born1954 (age 66–67)
Alma materAin Shams University

Early life and education

Zazou was born in 1954.[3] He holds a bachelor of arts degree in commerce from Ain Shams University in 1980.[3] Beside his Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Ain Shams in Cairo, Zaazou earned a specialized Certificate in PPP. (Public Private Partnership) from Harvard Kennedy Business School, MBA & PhD from the international business from IBRA, Delaware, USA.

Career

Zazou began his career in the City Bank Group for five years in Cairo.[3] Then he helped to establish a tourist agency in the US focusing on the Egyptian market and began to work in the tourism field. From 2004 to 2007, Zazou served as the chair of the Egyptian Tourism Federation.[3]

Political career

During the Mubarak era, in 2009, Zazou served as the first deputy of the minister of tourism.[7] After the Egyptian uprising, he served as senior assistant to former tourism minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour.[3] On 2 August 2012, Zazou began to serve as tourism minister in the cabinet of Hesham Qandil.[2] Although Zazou submitted his resignation on 1 July 2013, it was announced by the state news agency MENA on 15 July that he would continue to serve as tourism minister in the cabinet of interim prime minister Hazem Al Beblawi.[8] Zazou sworn in on 16 July.[9]

Statement on tourism following attack in Sinai

Following a fatal attack in the Sinai Peninsula in August 2012, in which 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed by armed men who subsequently infiltrated into Israel and were killed by the Israel Air Force, Zazou denied that there was a negative impact on tourism following the attack, and said that tourism agencies did not cancel reservations and that he was personally calling them to make sure. Zazou stressed that tourists should feel secure in Egypt.[1]

Resignations

In June 2013, Zazou submitted his resignation in protest at President Morsi's appointment of a member of the Construction and Development party as governor of Luxor - this party being associated with the Jama'a al-Islamiya group, which had killed 62 tourists and local tourism-industry workers in the 1997 Luxor Massacre. Zazou's resignation placed him at the head of a mass protest from all quarters of the Egyptian tourism industry, a main source of foreign currency that is vital to the country's economy. Prime Minister Hisham Qandil "refused the resignation and asked him to stay at his post to review the situation".[10] A few days later the new governor resigned instead.[11]

However, he and four other ministers resigned from office on 1 July due to government's reaction to mass demonstrations in the country. Then prime minister Qandil refused to accept Zazou's resignation, however, and asked him to remain in the post.[12]

References
  1. Dalia Farouk (7 August 2012). "Tourism not affected by Sinai attack: Minister". Al Ahram. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  2. "Egypt's president swears in new Cabinet; Tantawi to remain defense minister". Al Arabiya. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  3. Ahmed Feteha; Bassem Abo Al Abass; Nesma Nowar (3 August 2012). "Egypt's new economy ministers: Who's who". Al Ahram. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  4. "Egypt's interim president swears in first government". Ahram Online. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  5. "UPDATED: Egypt replaces 8 ministers in surprise cabinet reshuffle". Ahram Online. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  6. "Egypt's Sherif Ismail cabinet with 16 new faces sworn in by President Sisi". Ahram Online. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  7. "Zazou: The Egyptian Agenda is Eventful to Attract Arab Tourists". Abou. May 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  8. Nick Paton-Walsh; Schams Elazar; Joe Sterling (15 July 2013). "Post-Morsy Egypt forging government of technocrats". CNN. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  9. "Egypt's first post-Morsi cabinet - who's who". Ahram Online. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  10. "Egypt: Morsi Promotes Man Behind Attacks Against Tourists". Nuqudy. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  11. "Egypt tourism minister resigns over controversial new governor". Al Akhbar. 19 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  12. "Four Egyptian ministers resign". Ahram Online. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
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