Established three years ago with less than $500,000 of capital, Citadel Capital, a Cairo-based private equity business, has grown swiftly to become a regional player controlling some $7bn of investments in oil, agriculture, mining and building materials.

Citadel is the first of its kind in Egypt. Its strategy relies on buying controlling stakes in companies it believes it can turn around and then, using its expertise in financial re-engineering, to build regional powerhouses in the wider Arab and African neighbourhood.