It was established in 1955 by Osman Ahmed Osman, an Egyptian entrepreneur and politician who served as Egypt's Housing Minister under Sadat's presidency. It was nationalized after the Egyptian revolution of 1952. The company participated in the construction of the Aswan High Dam and aided the war efforts during the 1973 War. It has been involved in the construction of several government buildings in Egypt. The company also owns a football club, El Mokawloon SC, that plays in the Egyptian Premier League. Today, El-Mokawloon El-Arab is one of the largest companies in the entire Middle East and North Africa with big projects not only in Egypt, but also Morocco, UAE, Algeria, Libya, Lebanon, Kuwait.