MARA'I, AL-SAYYID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02771R000400310013-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2000
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: November 12, 1957
• Content Type: BIO

This document consists
SEC r
Approved For Release 2000/05/23
DP78-02771 ROOOo 41ffj,,? Series
DEPART1iNPT CF STATE
Division of Biographic Information
1 SARA' I, al-S ay3rid
A1-Sayyid Mara'i, Minister of State for Agrarian Reform since June
1956, was given the additional portfolio of Minister of Agriculture on
November 3, 1957. At the same time, the Liberation Province Board was
dissolved and the affairs of the Liberation Province were placed under
Maralits authority in his capacity as Minister of Agrarian Reform. Com-
petent, conservative, pro-West, Mara'i is a former member of the Chamber
of Deputies. Embassy reports indicate that, as a business man and a
"hard core conservative", it is unlikely that he will be used by the
Communists. A report of July 1956 (B-3) indicates that 'Abd al-Nasir
has considerable respect for Mara'i's intelligence and personal courage.
The same report stated that Mara'i is a cousin and "lifelong personal
enemy" of Muhammad Abu Nusayr, Minister of Commerce.
Mara' i was born August 26, 1914 and was graduated frcat the Faculty
of Agriculture, Cairo University in 1937. For some years he was engaged
in private enterprise. In 1945 he was elected to Parliament; after
serving a four-year term he returned to private business in 1949. In
1952 the Revolutionary Government appointed Tiara' i Director of the
Supreme Agrarian Reform Committee, which was created to implement the
1952 Agrarian Reform Law (for redistributing and reclaiming land). In
1955 Mara'i was elected Chairman and Managing Director of the Agricul-
tural Credit and Cooperative Bank; at the same time he retained his
post on the Supreme Agrarian Reform Comrmiittee.
Mara'i is married and has three children.
IRC:BI:VHMacLesn:mh November 12, 1957
SECRET
State Dept. declassification instructions on file
Approved For Release 2000/05/23 : CIA-RDP78-02771 R000400310013-7