UAE: Egyptian billionaire dismisses Trump's proposal to displace 1.5 million Palestinians

Khaleej Times

26-02-2025

Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris has dismissed US President Donald Trump's proposal to permanently displace over a million Palestinians from Gaza.
'Trump says Egypt should take 1.5 million Palestinians. Problems don't get solved this way,' said Sawiris, chairman and CEO of Ora Developers, during a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Addressing the panel discussion during Investopia 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Sawiris said most of the around 50,000 killed in the Israel-Hamas war were innocent Palestinians and not the 'bad guys'.
'We watched October 7, which was unacceptable, then in reaction around 50,000 people—mostly innocent—were killed. They were not bad guys. It is unacceptable. This is something which is not helping us in the situation, especially when power is more on the aggressive side, and supported blindly,' Sawiris said.
Israel and Hamas have reached a delicate ceasefire and have been exchanging hostages and detainees since.
Sawiris—who is among the wealthiest Arabs—said dictators are in 'fashion globally these days'. He said just a 'handful number of leaders' are deciding the fate of the world.
He added, 'There are five to six people… deciding the fate of the world. Each of them has nukes and when heat goes up, they are a great threat.'
He said the tension in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas is not helping.