Former Egyptian PM and MENA founder dies at 97

Former Egyptian PM and MENA founder dies at 97
Egyptian PM and the country's first information minister died Tuesday at the age of 97.
1 min read
08 July, 2015
Hatem is considered to be the godfather of Egyptian media [Ahram]
Former Egyptian Prime Minister and founder of Egypt's Middle East News Agency (MENA) Abdel Kader Hatem died on Tuesday at the age of 97, reported local media.

Born in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria in 1918, Hatem is considered to be one of the founders of modern Egypt and the godfather of Egyptian media for his leading role in setting up Egyptian television and radio broadcast.

In addition to founding MENA, Hatem contributed largely to the development of the State Information Service, which he headed for a number of years.

Besides being Egypt's first information minister, Hatem was also known for his role as the country's Prime Minister during the 6 October war against Israel in 1973.

Moreover, Hatem contributed to building dozens of hotels and opening beaches and resorts over the years in efforts to promote tourism.

Current Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has attended Hatem's funeral in Cairo on Tuesday morning.