Essam Sharaf facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Essam Sharaf
عصام شرف‎
Sharaf in 2011

Prime Minister of Egypt
In office 3 March 2011 – 7 December 2011
President	Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (Acting)
Preceded by	Ahmed Shafik
Succeeded by	Kamal Ganzouri
Minister of Transportation
In office 1 June 2004 – 15 December 2005
Prime Minister	Ahmed Nazif
Preceded by	Hamdy El Shayeb
Succeeded by	Mohamed Mansour

Personal details
Born	1952 (age 72–73) Giza, Kingdom of Egypt
Political party	National Democratic Party (Before 2005) Independent (2005–present)
Alma mater	Cairo University Purdue University

Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf (born in 1952) is an Egyptian professor. He served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from March to December 2011. Before that, he was the Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.

Early Life and Education

Essam Sharaf was born in Giza, Egypt, in 1952. He studied civil engineering at Cairo University, getting his first degree in 1975. Later, he went to Purdue University in the United States. There, he earned his master's degree in 1980 and his PhD in 1984.

Essam Sharaf's Career Journey

After finishing his studies, Sharaf worked as a visiting professor at Purdue University in 1984. The next year, he became a professor at Cairo University. He taught highway and traffic engineering. In 1990, he also taught civil engineering in Saudi Arabia.

He returned to Cairo University in 1991. By 1996, he was a full professor of highway engineering. During this time, he also advised a transportation company in Saudi Arabia. He later became a senior advisor for transport in Egypt in 1999. In 2003, he advised the municipality of Al Ain in the UAE.

Minister of Transportation Role

Essam Sharaf joined the National Democratic Party. He became Egypt's Minister of Transportation in July 2004. He held this position until December 2005. He resigned because he had disagreements with the Prime Minister, Ahmed Nazif.

After leaving his government role, Sharaf went back to teaching at Cairo University. He often spoke out against the government of Hosni Mubarak. He especially criticized how they managed Egypt's public transportation. He also helped start the Egypt Scientific Society.

Involvement in the 2011 Revolution

Sharaf was active in the Tahrir square protests during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. This made him popular with those who wanted democracy. They suggested him as a possible new Prime Minister.

Egypt's military council asked him to form a new government in March 2011. This happened after the previous Prime Minister resigned. Sharaf spoke to large crowds in Tahrir Square. He told them he got his power from them and promised to work for democracy. He was the first Egyptian prime minister to give monthly speeches to the public.

Essam Sharaf's Time as Prime Minister

Essam Sharaf became Prime Minister on March 3, 2011. He was the first Prime Minister after the revolution. At first, people in Tahrir Square supported him. However, by the end of his time, many saw his government as going against the revolution's goals.

In his first months, he removed some unpopular government members. He also got rid of corrupt local councils. He made decisions that were popular with the public. People saw him as a simple and humble leader. However, he was later criticized for not fixing serious problems. These included security issues and violence between different groups. He also faced criticism for not reforming the police or solving workers' pay issues.

Changes to the Cabinet

When he first formed his government, Sharaf removed some unpopular ministers. He brought in new people who had been against the old government. However, he kept some ministers from the previous government.

Later, people protested in Tahrir Square, demanding faster changes. Sharaf had to change his cabinet again. He accepted resignations from ministers linked to the time before the revolution. In July 2011, he appointed two new deputy prime ministers. One was for economic policy, and the other for democratic changes.

Struggle for Power

Over time, it became clear that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) held most of the power in Egypt. Sharaf's government had many people from the Mubarak era. He could not remove them without the SCAF's approval.

As the time of change lasted longer, people demanded more. Sharaf was accused of not doing enough. He was also accused of being against the revolution. It seemed that Sharaf's government was mostly following the SCAF's orders. He did not have much real political power.

Government Reforms and Policies

Security System Changes

One of Sharaf's biggest challenges was changing Egypt's security system. This was a very difficult task. He removed many high-ranking officers. However, activists said that the old State Security system was still using the same methods. They claimed only its name had changed.

Media System Changes

At first, Sharaf got rid of the Ministry of Media. Later, he appointed a new minister to reform the state-controlled media. However, this new minister was criticized for how he reported on events. He even faced an investigation for spreading false news.

Social System Changes

During his time, the first trade union for farmers in Egypt was created. Sharaf helped open the first meeting to encourage farmers to join this union.

Financial System Changes

His government approved a large amount of money for the state budget. This was to help support goods and services. He also created a fund to help factories that had stopped working. This was to prevent people from losing their jobs. The Ministry of Finance also announced plans for tax reform.

Foreign Relations

Sharaf created a new role in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This role was for African affairs. It aimed to improve cooperation with African countries. Sharaf visited Ethiopia, and they agreed to start a "new page" in their relationship. This was about how they would share the Nile river's water. He also visited Sudan. They agreed that Sudan would grow crops for both Egypt and Sudan.

Controversy Over Constitution Draft

Towards the end of his term, Sharaf and his deputy faced criticism. This was because of a draft law for the new constitution. This draft aimed to protect freedoms and democracy. However, it was controversial for different reasons.

Some groups worried it would limit the power of the next parliament. They also feared it gave the army too much power to "preserve democracy." Other groups worried it made the army too independent. They were concerned it gave the army full control over its budget and the power to declare war.

Protests and Violence in November 2011

In November 2011, there was a large protest in Tahrir Square. Families of those who died or were hurt in the revolution joined. They protested because they felt the government was not supporting them. The next day, security forces attacked the protesters.

News and images showed the police using too much violence. More and more people joined the protests. The violence continued for five days. Police shot at protesters and used tear gas. At least 41 people died, and many were injured. Many people called this "The true second revolution."

During these clashes, Sharaf seemed unable to control the situation. He could not stop the police's aggression. His government seemed to be falling apart. The Minister of Interior said he had given control of the security forces to an army general. The Minister of Culture resigned. This violence was a major reason for Sharaf's government to end.

Resignation from Office

Essam Sharaf could not handle the pressure. He resigned from his position on November 21, 2011. This was just six days before the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election. His resignation was accepted the next day. His government continued to work temporarily until a new Prime Minister was chosen. His last day as Prime Minister was December 2, 2011. Kamal Ganzouri was named his successor.

Political Beliefs

Sharaf is known for being strongly against having normal relations with Israel. He believes that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict must be solved first. Only then should there be cooperation between the two countries.

Awards and Honors

The State Encouragemental Prize in Engineering Sciences in 1987 and 1997
First Class Medal of Excellence from the President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak in 1995
Cairo University Incentive Award for Scientific Excellence in Engineering in 1997
Egyptian State Prize in Engineering Sciences, 1997
Excellence Award in Engineering from Purdue University, America in 2005
Man of the Year Award (Rafiq Hariri Award), Beirut in 2006
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK in 2007
Certificate of Merit from the Cairo University in the Celebration of Scientists Day in 1988 and 1998
Member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2020

Images for kids

Sharaf with President of the United States, Barack Obama