Said of Egypt

Sa’id of Egypt was the fourth son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, the founder of modern Egypt. He was educated in Paris and spoke fluent French. He succeeded his brother Abbas Helmy I as the Wali (governor) of Egypt and Sudan in 1854, and ruled until his death in 1863. He was known for his reforms in land, law, and taxation, as well as his support for the construction of the Suez Canal. He granted the concession to build the canal to a French businessman, Ferdinand de Lesseps, in 1856, despite the opposition of the British and the Ottoman Empire. He also modernized the infrastructure of Egypt and Sudan, building railways, roads, and telegraphs. He was a sociable and extravagant ruler, who enjoyed the pleasures of life and entertained foreigners lavishly. He was married twice and had two sons, who both became prominent figures in Egyptian history. He died of natural causes in Cairo at the age of 40, and was buried in the Hosh al-Basha, near the Imam-i Shafi’i Mausoleum. He was succeeded by his nephew Isma’il I, who continued his policies and completed the Suez Canal.