Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Mar 29, 2026

Egypt-born billionaire makes £5m donation to UK Conservative Party

Egypt-born billionaire makes £5m donation to UK Conservative Party

An Egyptian billionaire has given the UK Conservative Party its largest donation in 20 years.
Mohamed Mansour told The Telegraph he believes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is “very capable” and “understands how growth is generated in the modern economy.”

Mansour donated £5 million ($6.2 million) to the party — the joint-second largest individual donation in UK political history after Lord Sainsbury of Turville gave £8 million to the Liberal Democrats in 2019 — arresting a decline in funding that had seen it overtaken by the opposition Labour Party in its ability to generate cash.

Between July and September, the Conservatives raked in just £3 million, compared to Labour’s £5.4 million, led in part by the defections of major donors such as millionaire Gareth Quarry after the departure of Boris Johnson as prime minister. Quarry accused the Tories of being “riven with arrogance and complacency.”

Mansour, though, said Sunak “gets the importance of technology and innovation. He can make a modern economy work for all citizens.”

Mansour said he valued stability in government, having lived through the upheaval of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s rise to power.

Mansour wrote in The Telegraph: “When I was a teenager, my family’s assets were confiscated by the state. Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser, under the influence of his Soviet mentors, nationalized the cotton industry, taking my father’s business from him.

“But he did not stop there. Nasser was convinced that private property rights should not stand in the way of his socialist creed and took my family’s land, homes and other assets.

“My life changed overnight. I was already at university in the United States, but from this moment on, my family could not support me. I had to trade in my car, knuckle down and work as a waiter to pay my way through college. I came to know what it is like to go hungry and to struggle to pay for food and utilities.

“This experience left me with a lifelong belief in the importance of political stability, property rights and the rule of law.”

He called the UK “a place where the rule of law is paramount, property rights are respected, and with an enviable record of political stability.”

He wrote: “I want to give (Sunak) the best chance of having a full five-year term, and so have donated £5 million to the party’s election fighting fund. I look at what he has achieved in his first months in office and think what he could do in five years.

“I love and respect this country, which has welcomed my family and me so warmly. It has a proud history and noble traditions. I believe that it has great days ahead of it. I want to do what I can to help this country — the place where I am watching my grandchildren grow up — achieve its great potential.”

The Conservative Party currently lags around 17 percent behind Labour across UK opinion polls, with the next general election expected some time in late 2024.

Mansour has previously given donations amounting to £600,000 to the party, and sits on the government’s advisory investment council.

He is the chair of the $6 billion conglomerate the Mansour Group, and is personally valued at being worth around $2.9 billion.

In the past he served as Egypt’s transport minister from 2006 to 2009 under Hosni Mubarak, the late Egyptian president forced from office in 2011.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Emphasise Secure Shipping Routes in Talks on West Asia Conflict
Dallas-Based Company Secures One Billion Dollar Hotel Development Deal in Saudi Arabia
Zelensky Secures Defence Cooperation Deals with Gulf States During Strategic Regional Tour
Trump Calls on Saudi Arabia to Join Abraham Accords in Push for Expanded Middle East Cooperation
Trump Balances Humor and Praise in Remarks on Saudi Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Pipeline Reaches Seven Million Barrel Capacity to Bypass Hormuz
Rubio Signals U.S. Could Conclude Iran Conflict Within Weeks as Air Campaign Intensifies
More Than a Dozen U.S. Soldiers Injured in Saudi Base Attack as Iran-Backed Houthis Expand Conflict
Iranian Strike on US Base in Saudi Arabia Injures Troops and Damages Aircraft
Pakistan to Convene Regional Talks with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt Amid Iran War Diplomacy
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia Reach ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Defence Agreement
Ukraine to Share Battlefield Expertise with Saudi Arabia Under New Defence Agreement
Trump Takes Center Stage at Saudi Arabia’s FII Miami Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Gulf States Explore Pipeline Routes to Bypass Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Iran Conflict Drives Saudi Arabia to Deepen Security Ties with Ukraine
Saudi Arabia Reviews Desert Ski Resort Plans with Cancellation of Key Building Contracts
Saudi Arabia Targets Business Hotel Shortfall with $1 Billion Development Push
Iran and Allied Forces Intensify Strikes on Energy Sites and Urban Areas Across Region
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia Formalise Defence Cooperation Agreement, Zelenskiy Announces
Saudi Arabia Reportedly Presses US to Intensify Operations Against Iran
Saudi Arabia Expands Maritime Network with Launch of Six New Shipping Services
Saudi Arabia Launches FII Summit Amid Heightened Focus on Global Stability and Investment Risks
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Secures First US Customer in Expansion of AI Capabilities
Saudi Arabia Calls on US to Seize Strategic Opportunity to Reshape the Middle East
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Investments Help Shape Silicon Valley’s Rise
Saudi Arabia Announces Passing of King Abdullah, Marking End of an Era
Saudi Arabia May Shift From Neutrality to Retaliation if Houthi Attacks Escalate, Experts Warn
UAE and Saudi Arabia Urge Decisive US Action on Iran as Regional Pressure Intensifies
Zelensky Visits Saudi Arabia After Offering Ukraine’s Drone Expertise
Saudi Arabia Pauses Ambitious Desert Ski Project Amid Strategic Reassessment
Trump Set for Palm Beach Return Following Saudi-Backed Summit in Miami
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Yanbu Oil Exports Toward Five Million Barrel Target
Report Highlights Saudi-US Security Discussions as Trump Administration Evaluates Iran Strategy
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits Three Billion Dollars to Elon Musk’s xAI in Strategic Technology Push
Saudi Arabia Signals Firm Shift in Iran Policy, Declares Coexistence No Longer Viable
Saudi Clubs Prepare Major Push to Sign Mohamed Salah Amid Growing Transfer Speculation
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Seeks to Prolong Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Condemns Iranian Actions and Signals Firm Shift Toward Stronger Response
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Strategic Approach as Regional Tensions with Iran Intensify
Pakistan Reaffirms Strong Support for Saudi Arabia Following High-Level Visit
Saudi Arabia Expands Regional Trade Links by Opening New Land and Sea Routes to UAE
World Economic Forum Delays Saudi Conference as Regional Conflict Disrupts Global Agenda
Saudi Arabia and UAE Signal Potential Entry into Iran Conflict if Critical Infrastructure Is Targeted
Global Firms Accelerate Expansion into Saudi Arabia as Economic Reforms Gain Momentum
Global Labour Pressure Mounts as ILO Faces Calls to Reject Saudi Bid to Dismiss Migrant Worker Complaint
Gulf Powers Move Closer to Entering Iran Conflict as Regional Pressure Intensifies
Saudi Arabia Breaks Ranks with Regional Allies Over Response to Iran Escalation
Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to Direct Role as Iran Conflict Intensifies
World Economic Forum Postpones Jeddah Meeting Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Urges Trump to Sustain Military Pressure on Iran
×