Jamal wedding sparks debate

Cairo: To Ahmad Hussain, a jobless university graduate, the widely hyped marriage of Jamal, the younger son of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is "much ado about nothing".

"I don't care whether he marries or not. I don't give a damn if he becomes the next president. What I care about is that I get a job and have enough resources to marry," Hussain, who graduated from a commerce school four years ago, told Gulf News.

For the past weeks, the upcoming marriage of Jamal Mubarak, 43, has been at the centre of debate among Egypt's political activists. The protest group Kefaya, a vociferous critic of Mubarak's rule, has said it will stage a series of protests in Egypt on May 4 when Jamal is due to marry.

'Intelligent man'

Kefaya, a loose umbrella of Leftists, secularists and Islamists, sees Jamal's marriage as part of alleged plans to install him in power after his father, who has been president since 1981. Mubarak, who has never named a vice-president, has repeatedly denied his son will succeed him.

"I would not mind if Jimmy [a nickname for Jamal] becomes the president," said Suad Fouad, a government employee. "He is an intelligent and energetic young man, who has smartly kept at bay the entourage, who have harmed his father's image. At least, he would be the first civilian to be president since the military took power in Egypt in 1952," she added.

Jamal, a former investment banker, is the chief of the influential Policies Committee in the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Over recent years, he has attained political ascendancy, with his activities being monitored closely and reported in state-owned newspapers.

Al Arabi, the mouthpiece of the Nasserist Party, has accused in a recent editorial the younger Mubarak of "usurping the Prime Minister's powers" and making statements, usually made by the head of the state.

"Isn't Jamal Mubarak an Egyptian citizen who, like all his compatriots, has rights or duties?" wrote Ezzat Badawi in the semi-official magazine Al Mussawar.

"Should he be evicted from Egypt or reprimanded for interfering in its internal affairs? ... Doesn't he have the right, like the rest of humans, to get married? Should he stay at home or [be] barred from taking up any political or social activity so that [his opponents] get convinced that he does not seek hereditary power?" asked Badawi.

Jamal will marry Khadija Mahmoud Al Jamal, a holder of a degree in business administration from the American University in Cairo.

Khadija, 24, is the daughter of a well-known Egyptian business tycoon.

Their wedding party will be held in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm Al Shaikh on May 4, which marks the older Mubarak's 79th birthday. Opposition and independent newspapers have carried unconfirmed reports that Jamal bought an apartment in the Nile-side quarter of Zamalek for over $1 million (about Dh3.67 million) and offered his bride a $10,000 ring as an engagement gift.

"He [Jamal] has the right to marry but he does not have the right to succeed his father," said a shopkeeper, who gave his name as Hatem.

At a glance: 'Made for each other' couple

Jamal, 43, and Khadija, 24, came to know each other when they attended a conference at the American University in Cairo (AUC) where the bride obtained a degree in business administration, according to local media reports.

They later met at ceremonies arranged by friends who have close ties with the younger Mubarak. Though Khadija is 19 years younger than Jamal, close friends say both hold similar views on social and political issues.

Khadija is the only daughter of Mahmoud Al Jamal, an Egyptian business tycoon whose construction company has set up buildings in the upmarket quarter of Maadi, south of Cairo. He has recently moved the headquarters of his company from Maadi to Zamalek. His company is named 'Jalala for Tourism Investment'.

Al Jamal belongs to a wealthy family of landlords, from the Egyptian coastal city of Damietta. According to unconfirmed reports, the family is said to be related to Refaat Al Jamal, an Egyptian mole planted by Egypt in Israel in the 1960s.