Harraz

ABOUT THE FOUNDER AND FOUNDING STORY

Abdulrahman Harraz was born in Egypt in 1920.^[8] He came from a family that had a rich history of trade in agricultural products. The family’s patriarch and Abdulrahman’s grandfather, Abdul Hamid Harraz, had been recognized as an expert in agricultural seeds since the 1880s.^[9] Abdulrahman’s father, Mohammed Harraz, inherited the craft from his father and developed a particular interest in the medicinal properties of plants.^[10] Growing up in the port city of Rasheed, he decided to specialize in organic food products.^[11]

During his formative years, Abdulrahman would frequently accompany his father and grandfather while they did business.^[12] At the age of 12, he became fascinated with discovering the medicinal properties of plants; taking a more systematic approach than his father had, he read about the topic on a daily basis.^[13] As he got older, he focused on studying the science of herbal remedies.^[14]

In the 1930s, Mohammed Harraz moved with his family to Cairo and purchased two shops, one in Bab Al Khalq and the other in Bawabat Al Metwally, entrusting one of them to Abdulrahman. Having gained invaluable experience, the teenager established his own business in 1939,^[15] with medicinal herbs as its core offering.^[16]

GROWTH PHASE

Over the course of many years, Abdulrahman grew his business into one of Cairo’s largest in the field. Across multiple generations, the Harraz family had maintained a firm belief that medicinal herbs are safer than chemical drugs.^[17] On top of trading in herbs and other plants, Abdulrahman thus dedicated his life to conducting research in medicinal plants and herbal medicines, authoring multiple publications.^[18] He received an honorary title from the National Center for Research in Egypt, where he lectured frequently: Sheikh Al Attareen, Arabic for “master of herbalists.”^[19]

Abdulrahman’s eldest son,^[20] Abullatif Harraz, also became interested in the family craft from a young age. After completing his university studies, Abdullatif bought a farm in the town of New Nubaria where he grew rare medicinal herbs and plants.^[21] He subsequently took over one of his father’s shops, located on Al Ghouriya Street in Cairo.^[22] He became an herbalist as well, and ensured that the store maintained its traditional character and appearance.^[23]

Abdulrahman’s son Ahmed, born in 1954,^[24] received his early education in Cairo’s French lycée followed by the Collège de la Salle. After graduating, he took over his father’s business Harraz for Food Industry & Natural Products, which he managed for 40 years.^{[25] [26]} When founder Abdulrahman passed away, Ahmed established his own business, the Harraz Plant Medicine Group, and created an “encyclopedia” gathering all of the family members’ research publications and unpublished findings across the generations.^[27]

TODAY

Still headquartered in Egypt, Harraz for Food Industry & Natural Products is now a national touchstone when it comes to herbal medicine and related products. The family business now operates over a dozen shops around Egypt.^[28] In addition, their portfolio has grown to include a variety of subsidiaries and joint ventures across an array of business lines, including Harraz Beauty, a line of natural cosmetic and skincare products;^[29] and Harraz Farm and Garden, maker and distributor of around 50 agricultural products.^[30] Among the well-known brands owned by the Harraz family are Sweetal, a zero-calorie sweetener;^[31] Oryza brown-rice products;^[32] and Elnasr gum products.^[33]