Abdel Aziz Mohamed Hegazy — Egyptian economist and prime minister

Background and early career

Hegazy trained and worked as an economist and entered public service in ministries responsible for the state budget, taxation and foreign trade. He is commonly listed in modern Egyptian biographies and reference works as a leading technocrat of his generation. For a summary of his name and biographical entries see Arabic name and entry and a broader profile at biographical source.

Government offices and responsibilities

Across the late 1960s and early 1970s Hegazy held several key posts overseeing the nation’s finances and trade. His principal appointments included:

• Minister of the Treasury (1968–1972), charged with budgetary management and public finance.
• Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade (1973–1974), combining fiscal policy with external commerce responsibilities.
• Prime Minister of Egypt from 25 September 1974 until 1975, serving in the cabinet of President Anwar El-Sadat.

Premiership and economic context

Hegazy’s brief term as prime minister occurred in the aftermath of the October 1973 War and during the early phase of President Sadat’s economic reorientation, often called the "infitah" or opening. As a trained economist and former finance minister, Hegazy worked on matters related to reconstruction, balancing public finances, and managing foreign trade relations during a delicate diplomatic and economic period. Contemporary accounts place his tenure within the broader effort by Sadat’s administration to shift economic policy and attract investment while maintaining state control of key sectors. For context on the presidency under which he served, see Anwar El-Sadat profiles and the official lists of Egyptian prime ministers at prime ministerial records.

Later life and legacy

After leaving the premiership, Hegazy remained a recognized figure in discussions of mid-20th-century Egyptian economic policy. He lived into the early 21st century and died in December 2014. Historians and analysts note his role as a technocrat who moved between ministerial and cabinet responsibilities at a time when Egypt faced fiscal strain, postwar reconstruction needs, and an evolving international economic position.

While not the longest-serving prime minister, Hegazy’s career illustrates the importance of economic expertise in government during periods of transition. His ministerial records are cited in studies of Egyptian public finance, trade policy, and the political economy of the Nasser and Sadat eras.