Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has called on Arab countries to sever diplomatic relations with Iran following the attack on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while expressing solidarity with the Saudi people and offering condolences to the victims.
- Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris publicly called for Arab countries to cut diplomatic ties with Iran following the missile attack on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Sawiris expressed his solidarity with the Saudi people and offered condolences to the victims, including an Egyptian flight attendant.
- The Riyadh attack was part of a series of missile strikes on Saudi airports by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen, resulting in several deaths and injuries.
- Sawiris’s statements, made via social media after public criticism for his silence, contributed to ongoing diplomatic tensions in the region.
He disclosed his sentiments on X, apologizing to a user on the platform who confronted him for being silent on the terrorist attack.
The user wrote that Sawiris had not said a word about the dead, adding that the silence suggested a disregard for the lives lost in the attack.
“He didn't utter a single word about our dead in #Riyadh… As if our blood doesn't even deserve a word of condolence! How wretched the positions are when the masks fall, and silence about the souls of the innocent becomes a testament to the bankruptcy of conscience! And what a conscience…”
Responding to the criticism, the Egyptian business magnate, who is listed as one of the ten richest men in Africa, apologised for the delay and expressed sympathy for the victims, including an Egyptian flight attendant who died in the incident.
“I apologize for the delay. May God have mercy on the innocent dead, including the Egyptian flight attendant. Our condolences to you, and may the aggressor face ruin. We in Egypt are with you, heart and soul, and our love for the Saudi people is in all our hearts,” he said.
He also reaffirmed his “complete solidarity and my call for a unified Arab stance that rises above disputes and confronts the Iranian enemy without delay or hesitation”
His remarks exacerbate diplomatic tensions over the Riyadh bombing, which has prompted fears about regional security and the possibility of a larger clash between Iran and Arab powers.
The billionaire's answer also demonstrates how the event has ignited debate on social media, with people requesting public declarations of sympathy and disapproval from important corporate executives and powerful individuals.
Sawiris, a well-known Egyptian businessman, has regularly remarked on political and economic developments in the Middle East via his social media accounts.
Attack on Saudi Arabia airport
Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport came under a deadly missile attack on October 10, 2026, killing 12 people and injuring 309 others, according to Saudi authorities.
The victims included Saudi citizens and foreign nationals, among them 28-year-old Egyptian flight attendant Azza Ramzy Mohamed Hassan, who died from injuries sustained inside the terminal.
The attack disrupted airport operations and heightened security concerns across Saudi Arabia, prompting flight suspensions and fears of further violence
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the strikes and other similar attacks in Saudi Arabia in the space of 24 hours.
As seen on BBC, the Saudi civil aviation authority disclosed that on the 5th of October, the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport and Najran International Airport were targeted.
In the course of the next two days, Saudi Arabia suffered two attacks, one on the King Khalid International Airport, which led to one fatality and eight injuries.
The second strike targeted Abha International Airport, resulting in two fatalities and twenty-eight injuries.
By Sunday, the Houthis noted that their attack had been launched in three phases.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree relayed via Telegram that the attacks were in response to the "brutal Saudi aggression against our country and our people."
Egypt, where Naguib Sawiris is from, pledged to provide Saudi Arabia with any support needed to fight Houthi militants in Yemen.
Naguib Sawiris Saudi Arabia investment
Earlier this year, Naguib Sawiris noted that he was not worried about the slowdown in the UAE property market, despite the insecurity plaguing the region.
Speaking to The National in Abu Dhabi, Sawiris said he remains optimistic about the long-term outlook for real estate in the Gulf state, announcing a Dh30 billion ($8.17 billion) expansion of a “mini city” project between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
“I am expecting the property market to continue booming,” he said. “Once this crisis is off the news, it will return to the previous boom… now, it’s a matter of pause.”
As chairman of Ora Developers, Sawiris leads a major mixed-use development positioned between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
In collaboration with Modon Properties, the company is constructing an extensive "mini city" located in Ghantoot, a corridor linking both emirates.
Known as Bayn, the master project is planned to feature 16,000 residential units alongside office space, retail centers, medical facilities, educational institutions, commercial districts, shopping malls, and a hotel.