Al-Futtaim appoints Tarek Tantawy as Egypt CEO to lead new phase of growth
Al-Futtaim, one of the Middle East’s most diversified privately held business groups headquartered in Dubai, has announced the appointment of Tarek Tantawy as Chief Executive Officer of Al-Futtaim Egypt, effective 15 January 2026.
The appointment marks a strategic evolution in Al-Futtaim’s operating model in Egypt, which the Group considers a priority growth market. In his new role, Tantawy will be responsible for aligning strategy, capital allocation, and operating priorities across the Group’s businesses in Egypt, ensuring a unified “One Al-Futtaim” approach with a strong focus on customers, partners, and national stakeholders.
Commenting on his appointment, Tantawy said Egypt represents a long-term growth engine for Al-Futtaim, offering scale and opportunities across multiple sectors. He noted that strengthening execution discipline and aligning businesses behind a clear country strategy will be critical to unlocking value through collaboration across the Group’s portfolio, building on the strong foundations already in place.
David Henderson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Al-Futtaim, said the appointment reflects the Group’s commitment to building leadership structures that support scale, accountability, and long-term value creation. He added that appointing a single country CEO in Egypt enhances portfolio-level accountability, supports disciplined capital deployment, and ensures consistent execution as Al-Futtaim’s presence in the market continues to expand.
Tantawy brings more than 27 years of senior leadership experience across multiple sectors, including strategy, operations, finance, and executive management. Most recently, he served as Group Co-CEO and Managing Director at Palm Hills Developments, where he led operational performance improvements and strategic expansion. His previous roles include CEO and Managing Director of Telecom Egypt, Group Co-CEO and Managing Director of CI Capital Holding, and Chief Financial Officer at IDJ-Beyti. He has also held multiple board positions across non-bank financial services, telecommunications and technology, higher education, real estate development, and fast-moving consumer goods.
Al-Futtaim has operated in Egypt for more than four decades and has built a diversified presence across key sectors of the economy. Today, the Group’s activities span real estate, including Cairo Festival City and its mall, retail, automotive, and insurance. More recently, Al-Futtaim entered into a strategic partnership with Dwight Schools to launch premium education offerings in Egypt in collaboration with the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation.
