Galal Amin: Visionary Economist, Enduring Legacy
First Bank
Galal Amin is one of the prominent figures in economic thought in Egypt and the Arab region. He was the son of the late Islamic thinker Ahmed Amin, the author of the encyclopedia 'Fajr al-Islam,' 'Dawn of Islam,' and 'Appearance of Islam.'
Born in 1935 in Cairo, he graduated from the Faculty of Law, Cairo University, in 1955, and obtained his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of London.
He served as a professor of economics at the Faculty of Law, Ain Shams University, from 1965 to 1974, and worked as an economic advisor to Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development from 1974 to 1978. He also worked as a visiting professor of economics at the University of California from 1978 to 1979 and as a professor of economics at the American University in Cairo from 1979.
Amin authored several notable works, including the series 'What Happened to Egyptians,' one of his most famous and widely circulated books, exploring mass movements, unmasking theories of economic development, philosophy of economics, and life lessons.
His writings documented and analyzed the major transformations that occurred in Egypt, encompassing significant changes in social, behavioral, moral, economic, cultural, and political aspects, while addressing the relationship between society and successive systems. He was concerned with issues of social justice and economic independence, which he regarded as equally important as political independence.
Galal Amin received numerous honors, including Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences Economics Award and the 'Merit for Sciences and Arts' medal in Egypt. He also won Sultan Qaboos prize for Culture, Arts, and Literature in the field of economic studies.
Amin passed away in September 2018, leaving behind a significant legacy in economics for future generations to learn from.
