Khalil Osman Mahmoud () was a Sudanese businessman and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the country's industrial and economic development.

Career

Khalil Osman Mahmoud was born and raised in El-Dueim,

White Nile state White Nile State ( ') is one of the 18 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 39,701 km2 and an estimated population of approximately 2,493,880 people (2018 est). Since 1994 Rabak is the capital of the state; other important cities inc ...

. He was trained as a veterinary doctor, but Khalil ventured into business in 1968 starting in Kuwait with a company that specialized in fishing shrimp fishing. The company became one of the largest shrimp fishing business in the

Persian Gulf region The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...

. Throughout his career, Khalil diversified his investments and successfully established various businesses across the globe. Some of his notable ventures included investing in Canada in the timber and lumber industry, Somalia's fisheries, Holland's dairy products, and building match factories in Nigeria and

Congo-Kinshasa The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. He is considered a pioneer of Sudanese entrepreneurship and is credited with establishing approximately 60% of Sudan's modern industrial sector. Khalil was the first Sudanese businessman to initiate large-scale modern production in various sectors, such as particle board production, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and glass manufacturing through ''Gulf International'' company. He played a vital role in promoting Sudan's economic growth as an economic Presidential Advisor and was key in securing funding for major projects like the Kenana Sugar Company, one of the world's largest sugar plants and a significant source of revenue for Sudan's economy. Khalil's investments in Sudan were extensive, and he founded numerous companies in various industries, including match production and distribution, glass manufacturing, agricultural organizations, packaging, chemical industries, and more. His business principles and strategies were focused on combining international technical expertise to utilise African resources through Arab capital resulting in a highly successful and diverse business empire. Beyond his business success, Khalil's contributed to the development of education, healthcare, and job opportunities for thousands of people in Sudan and beyond. He built schools and hospitals, employed thousands in his factories and companies, and supported people in need through various philanthropic initiatives. In

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

, a dispute occurred within the military establishment that turned into a new military rebellion, carried out by a group of officers declaring their intention to fight "new colonialism" and to end dependence on the West, of which they accused the

Jaafar Nimeiry Jaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Jaafar Nimeiry, Gaafar Nimeiry or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; ar, جعفر محمد النميري; 26 April 192830 May 2009) was a Sudanese politician who served as the president of Sud ...

regime. However, the rebellion lasted only 3 days, after which international and regional powers intervened, led by Egypt and Libya with a British partnership, along with internal support for this intervention led by a Khalil Othman, which helped eliminate the rebellion in short time. Power was restored to Nimeiri. Nimeiry stripped Khalil Osman form his Order of the Righteous Son of Sudan before imprisoning him with

Mahmoud Mohammed Taha Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, (1909 – 18 January 1985; ar, محمود محمد طه) also known as Ustad, Ustaz Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, was a Sudanese religion, religious thinker, leader, and trained engineer. He developed what he called the "Second M ...

in 1982.

References

External links

* * {{Cite AV media , url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVDzwgb7I-M&ab_channel=tarigosman , title=Dr. Khalil Osman Interview in 1986 (Part 2) , last=Osman , first=Tarig , type=YouTube , language=ar , trans-title=, date=2022-12-19 People from White Nile State Sudanese businesspeople 20th-century births Recipients of the Order of the Righteous Son of Sudan Date of birth missing Date of death missing