Banque Misr
Talaat Harb Pacha, the Egyptian who founded Banque Misr, remains a towering figure in the Middle Eastern economics community even today, 80 years after his death. The statue in his honour that adorns Talaat Harb Square in downtown Cairo, not far from Tahrir Square, speaks to the lasting influence of his ideas on domestic industry and development.
No achievement better encapsulates his life’s work than Banque Misr.
Established in 1920, it was the first bank fully owned by Egyptians. From the start, the bank concerned itself with championing the development of domestic companies – from agriculture and aviation to insurance, cinema and tourism. Yet it wasn’t until 2020, a century later, that many Egyptians realized just how much of a backbone-like role Banque Misr plays.
Anyone tempted to dismiss its slogan – A Pathway to Shared Prosperity – as hollow marketing was set straight over the last 12 months.
Under the leadership of chairman Mohamed El-Etreby, Banque Misr did not miss a beat in its efforts to help eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and ensure that progress toward gender parity was not a casualty of the health crisis.