A Story on how NOT to make business.
—————————–
**I Said NO to Naguib Sawiris. Twice!**
In this section, I’ll share a couple of stories from my business ventures that taught me valuable lessons. I’ll use these lines to reaffirm the importance of nurturing ideas through imagination, emphasizing even more by inviting readers to take this practice to the point of obsession to generate business opportunities.
The first is recent, from a few months ago in 2025, though it began a year earlier, in April 2024, when I acquired the usage rights to a registered brand with some history in Mexico.
It’s a brand once used in Mexico by an iconic global hospitality company that, for some reason, became available for purchase. I was the one who had the chance to acquire it, knowing that not only the company I mentioned but at least two other individuals in Mexico were (and are) trying to reclaim it and I bought it intending to negotiate with interested parties or develop it myself if the conditions weren’t right.
So, in April 2024, I acquired it, and by September, it was duly registered. During this six months between the application and registration confirmation with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), my curiosity led me to research the brand’s history beyond Mexico, and what happened was pleasantly surprising.
When I saw the brand in the United States, I was thrilled.
Then I found it in Hong Kong and my surprise grew.
By the time I reached India, it was clear that investing in the brand was a great decision.
But when I discovered what was happening with the brand in Egypt and its future plans, I went crazy.
I was completely captivated by the sophistication with which the brand is being developed in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, with its nerve center in Egypt. So, I dove into everything related to its creators, to the point that my ideas of negotiating the brand in Mexico were nearly forgotten, and my interest in contacting its former owners vanished.
Focusing on the Egyptian alternative, I learned about a company called ORA Developers, dedicated to hospitality and housing developments with a not just modern but futuristic vision, transforming the real estate landscape in emerging nations, creating authentic dreams and taking them to reality.
Thanks to my curiosity about this company, I soon learned that the mastermind behind it all is an entrepreneur named Naguib Sawiris, considered a pioneer in Egypt’s communications development and a true celebrity in Africa and the Middle East and the more I researched, the more my amazement grew.
I reviewed every article, interview, and page about Naguib Sawiris and just as with the opening of Ele Por Ele and whenever I focus intensely on something that interests me, I studied the brand and the person so thoroughly that it became almost an obsession.
One of the first things I decided to learn, driven by this growing passion, was the Arabic language, to communicate in the original language of the brand’s developers. This was out of respect and as a perfect excuse to learn a new language and I gave myself a year to advance in Arabic while continuing to gather information about ORA Developers and Naguib Sawiris, waiting long enough to secure the brand’s official registration in my name to make it marketable again.
Of these three goals, I never anticipated how challenging Arabic would be. I still feel like a beginner despite the hours I’ve dedicated, but since it’s become a passion and a challenge, I know I’ll eventually communicate with Arabic speakers, especially now that I plan to launch this book.
Along the way, I learned that Naguib Sawiris has not only leveraged his business genius in Africa and the Middle East but also challenged powers like Italy and France. I’m not exaggerating when I say these countries were shaken by what he achieved with his companies entering from outside.
I’m talking about the need for these nations to decide, at the level of their economy ministries and legislatures, to ask him to sell his stakes in the companies he grew, essentially because they became dominant players in an industry as critical as telecommunications. Though not stated in news reports, I intuit that the real issue was that, as a non-European from an emerging nation, their pride couldn’t tolerate his growth and access to such significant information. It was like an affront to their ego, ultimately resolved through diplomacy.
I must clarify that the above is just my perspective, not something I’ve seen in any opinion or article, and I take full responsibility for it.
And as if that weren’t enough, I learned that Sawiris is an opinion leader who practices social an political activism daily, an activity I also enjoy, though I’ve neglected it lately. But I’ll return to it, as emerging nations always need critical voices to challenge decisions about their vast resources.
This is how I became a true admirer of Naguib Sawiris’s work, philosophy, and brand development approach and thanks to the patience I discussed earlier, I spent a full year working on my strategy.
Thus, in January 2025, I saw Naguib Sawiris as the keynote speaker at a communications industry summit in Dubai, where he once again shared his views and captivated the audience with his charisma. From that interview I remember a part where he said his success largely comes from making quick decisions without overthinking, as time can work against you.
After watching that interview, I felt uneasy for missing the event, so I thought, “I can’t afford to let this information slip.”
From then on, I stayed highly alert to such events in the Middle East, which I had to follow personally, since being in Mexico meant I received no advertising about these conventions and that’s how I learned that, at the end of February, he’d be a keynote speaker again at an investment summit in Abu Dhabi, less than three weeks away.
I immediately checked the event’s website for tickets, but registration was not only closed, it was an invitation-only event, not open to the public.
So, there was no way to attend… in theory.
In theory, because I contacted the Mexican Embassy in the United Arabs Emirates, begging them to secure me tickets. But regardless of their response, I bought plane tickets and booked accommodation for myself and my wife, figuring I’d manage if the embassy didn’t come through.
I also consulted AI for ideas, and one was that many people attend such events hoping to beg for entry or even stay outside, just for a chance to contact key figures.
So, with plane tickets and hotel booked and the idea that I’d stay outside if necessary, I was determined to contact Naguib Sawiris by any means. If I didn’t find him at the Abu Dhabi conference, I’d visit his office in Dubai the next day.
But that wasn’t the case. Five days before the event, the embassy informed me that tickets would arrive via email, and I just needed to fill out the requested details.
I don’t know how to explain it, but I never doubted I’d be at the event. I was 100% certain, but you always need alternatives. No matter how sure your intuition is, you must have a Plan B, C, and D.
And february 26 arrived, the date of the Abu Dhabi conference.
My wife and I woke up early to arrive with time, as it was an hour-and-a-half drive from our hotel in Dubai. We’d been there two days early, thrilled because it was the perfect excuse to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in a city that captivates with its multiculturalism and business atmosphere. Our spirits were high.
—–
–
We left at 7:00 a.m. to register before 9:00 a.m., when the event started, as Sawiris’s conference was one of the first.
Of course!
The organization had him as an anchor for the opening, though not at the very start to allow time for registration, but early enough to ensure everyone was awake and excited.
We attended two fascinating prior presentations about the UAE’s success, with incredible speakers and the recurring theme of quick decision-making for organizational progress. The UAE’s economy minister spoke of laws changing overnight, sometimes in hours, when they realized they weren’t working and could hinder progress. When they talk about speed, they mean it.
Finally, the third presentation arrived.
The atmosphere was charged; people eagerly awaited it. You could feel the admiration in the audience. The previous speakers were brilliant, articulate, and offered invaluable information, but this conference was not only brilliant—it was interactive. We laughed at Sawiris’s anecdotes about extortions he faced due to emerging nations’ policies, something those of us familiar with the whims of improvised leaders understand well.
Pure genius.
The audience gave a standing ovation at the end and while this was happening, I rushed to the exit to try to interact with him, but there were too many people crowded around, and he was accompanied by two people acting as some sort of bodyguards keeping everyone at a distance because otherwise it would have been a total chaos. You could see the disappointment on people’s faces who wouldn’t get to greet him or take a photo. But with a year-long plan, I wasn’t going to stand idly by. I followed him from a distance as he quickly headed to the exit. I thought he was leaving, with a car waiting to whisk him away, and I was already planning to visit his Dubai office the next day.
But no!
Instead, he was led to a lounge in the hotel’s reception, away from the conference bustle, where he sat to talk with someone for about ten minutes. You could see them, as it wasn’t closed off; you could’ve even walked by and greeted them if you were bold enough. I stayed a few meters away, watching the bodyguards, who were nearby but distracted, no longer focused on the conversation happening in the hall.
Suddenly, Sawiris stood and walked toward the exit, right where I’d been sitting, observing from afar. It was incredible—I just stood, extended my hand, and introduced myself:
– “Good morning, Engineer Sawiris. My name is Eduardo, from Silversands Mexico. I want to congratulate you on your brilliant conference…”
Before I could continue, with a surprised gesture, he asked:
+ “Silversands Mexico?”
– “Yes, that’s right. Last year, I bought the rights to the brand that coincidentally matches yours, and I came here to ask you to bring your version of Silversands to Mexico.”
+ “I’d love to!”
+ “I’ll need you to find a beachfront plot near an airport and please, I don´t want one of those saturated beaches you have in Mexico. I want a place where we can pave the way for a Silversands hotel and you send the information to the email on this card.”
Then, he handed me his business card.
I was in disbelief, thinking to myself, “This is what he means by quick decisions!”
It didn’t take him a second!
+ “Do you have your business card?”
It took me some moments to react.
– “I, I, I… don’t have one, but in this brochure you will find information about the business potential for the brand in Mexico and some beachfront plot options I’ve already researched. While some meet your specifications, I’ll look for alternatives.”
+ “Have you seen my Silversands hotel in Grenada?”
– “Not yet, but I plan to see your work firsthand, though I had to come find you first.”
+ “Great! Send me the information to the email, and I’ll respond when I can. We’ll meet later to discuss contracts and fees.”
– “Perfect! I’ll gather more information and get to work as soon as I return to Mexico to have it ready per your requirements.”
My comment about returning to Mexico seemed to trigger something in him, and before we parted, as to clarify our brief talk, he said:
+ “Wait. You said you came from Mexico just for this, right?”
– “Yes, yes, yes. My only goal in coming here was to meet you and discuss this in person.”
+ “Then let’s meet Friday at my office to discuss details.”
And there I was, with a proposal to meet and discuss business details with the living legend, as he’d been introduced at the conference. I don’t know how many attendees would’ve given anything for that opportunity, and I was getting it on a silver platter.
A year of research, studying Arabic, obsessing over every detail about him and his companies. A year of dreaming, pushing everything to the limit, using all my imagination to make things happen, and deciding that the best strategy was this trip with no certainty but immense confidence in everything I’d done to tell Naguib Sawiris in person how much I wanted to bring his Silversands to Mexico.
All the hours of study, nights and days daydreaming, ideas generated to get here—it all boiled down to this moment, and it turned out far better than I could’ve imagined.
And I said no!
He insisted.
I refused twice!
By the time I came back to my senses, engineer Naguib Sawiris was back to Msr and I had lost my great opportunity.
—
—
But you don’t let go of Naguib Sawiris just like that, right?
When I told him that my intention was to get to know his work firsthand, it was because I really meant that.
So, I invite you to check out my book, where you’ll find out how this story unfolds and what happened when I traveled to Cairo and got to see Naguib Sawiris at the Opera House.
You’ll also discover other stories about travel, dreams, philosophy, education, successes, and scams, all from the perspective of an entrepreneur still forging their path to success.
The fee is only $3 USD or it´s equivalent $60 mexican pesos, and you can pay through PayPal or Mercado Pago, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America.