Ahmed El Attal, chairman of El Attal Holding: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Ahmed El Attal (LinkedIn), chairman of El Attal Holding. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

My name is Ahmed El Attal, and I’m the chairman of El Attal Holding — a leading local player in contracting, real estate development, and industry. I represent the third generation of my family to run the group. I joined the company when I was around 15 years old and became the chairman at the age of 21. I am also married and the proud father of three children, the eldest of whom is 14 years old.

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Unlike some others in the sector, I don’t let a suit and tie stop me from climbing onto rooftops to scrutinize every detail, which allows me to oversee the process in person and turn my ideas into reality. In the afternoon, I take on my role at the company headquarters, reviewing results, following up on operations, and meeting with CEOs as well as external partners. This is where I focus on strategy, while a team of young professionals undertakes execution.

El Attal Group was founded in 1948 as a family-owned contracting company, but now, after 80 years, the company has expanded to include several companies specializing in contracting, real estate development, design, and execution of infrastructure projects. But in its history, the group has faced rapid rises followed by sharp declines, confronting the first, second, and even third generations of the company’s management with challenges.

This is what pushed me to focus on transforming the company into an institutionalized operation and adopting governance in its management. This also includes a plan to list on the EGX, which is not only to secure financing, but to ensure better governance, smoother succession from one generation to the next, and the long-term continuity of the company for 100 or even 200 years.

I don’t buy the idea that there’s a real estate bubble in Egypt. Annual demand is estimated at around 1 mn units, but supply covers only 50–60% of that demand. The real problem in the sector is funding. The real estate sector needs stronger support from the banking sector through adequate credit facilities and making mortgage financing more broadly available.

The real estate sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation at the moment. Demand is not only strong for residential units, but is also rising for hotel apartments, especially with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The market has become broader and more diverse — spanning residential, commercial, and administrative segments — but the most important real trend shaping the scene is the growing demand for vacation units.

I’m quite routine-driven. My day begins right after the fajr prayer. I dedicate an hour to reading and browsing physical newspapers, before heading to the gym where I spend about 90 minutes. After that, I visit the group’s construction sites to inspect progress and ensure operations are on track.

The only constants in my day are exercise and prayer. Working out gives me energy and vitality, while prayer brings me spiritual relief, which eases work pressures and clears my mind. To maintain my focus and stay organized, I rely on a small, dedicated team of three people.

Work-life balance is difficult these days. I barely spent time with my eldest daughter when she was young, and I didn’t properly see my kids grow up because I used to work nearly 18 hours a day. But technology helped, and daily video calls kept us connected, although it’s never the same as being physically present. My wife is my greatest supporter. She took on the full responsibility of raising our children, especially since I’d often come home after midnight, leaving her to handle their school routines every morning.

I think I inherited the habit of putting work before family from my father. I really only got to know him by going with him to work. Now I’ve adopted some of the family traditions myself, including Friday being a weekly sanctuary for the whole family. I go to Friday prayer with my kids, then we spend the rest of the day together. This time always restores my balance.

When work’s over, I don’t turn on the TV or scroll through social media. The first thing I do to relax is put my phone completely aside. The only time I really feel disconnected from the world is the 30–60 minutes I spend each night with my wife. She tells me about everything that happened to her and the kids that day. I like taking some time away from all the pressure of decisions and meetings.

What do I look forward to in the future? Spending more of my time with my family and taking a trip without having to worry about any meetings or executive teams. Professionally, I hope to gradually transition into more of an honorary chairman role, where the day-to-day operations run smoothly without my direct involvement. I’d only pop into the office occasionally to review reports and sign off on major decisions. In addition to the EGX listing, we’re pushing ahead with setting up real estate funds, with the group already close to launching its first one. The company will also expand into the Saudi and Omani markets in 2026, widening our global presence, which currently includes Malaysia.

The best advice I ever got came from my father, who told me: “Fear God in what you do.” I believe success comes down to three essential elements: piety, passion, and consistency.

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