Mohammed best known by his company’s name AYA, came to Uganda in 1987 after his high school to visit his elder brother.
Mohammed El Hamid, interestingly as the owner of Pan Afric Impex, was supposed to proceed to the U.S. for university education on the advice of his father.
But apparently, Hamid fell in love with Uganda as a country and decided to stay.
He then founded Pan Afric Commodities Ltd in 1997. Since then, the enterprise blossomed into the Aya Group of Companies (AYA). The group comprises the Pan Afric Commodities Limited, Aya Biscuits Limited, Fifi Transport Limited, Aya Bakery Limited, and Aya Investments Uganda Limited, the developers of Kampala’s landmark Pearl of Africa Hotel in Uganda.
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Mohammed’s success through trading in general merchandise and an abundance of opportunities in Uganda catapulted him into the manufacturing sector, having accumulated enough capital from the former. Mohammed first invested over USD1.5m
in setting up the XXX industry, with the machinery alone costing USD 1.3m. As the Executive Chairman, Hamid has led the expansion of AYA into a household name in Uganda with Investments in real estate, factories, equipment, and logistics totaling over USD 1.3
billion. The group currently employs more than 5,000 people.
Achievements and Contributions
AYA has received many prestigious awards and accolades for outstanding work in investment in Uganda. In 2013, H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni recognized Hamid as one of the leading Investors and Entrepreneurs in Uganda.
For his contribution to the Socio-Economic Transformation of Uganda and the U.N. Millennium development goals, H.E. Museveni awarded him The Pearl of Africa Lifetime Achievement Award 2013. Mohammed has been named thrice by Forbes Magazine among Africa’s top young entrepreneurs for the footprints he continues to make on the Ugandan economy.
Hamid is one of Uganda’s significant industrialists with vast experience in various industrial sectors in countries across the globe. However, most of his business interest’s concentration are in Africa and the Middle East. He is well experienced in project design and implementation and is a graduate in Business Administration.
Mr. Hamid has not only expanded his business empire but has been actively fulfilling his obligations in Corporate Social Responsibility. Through the AYA Foundation, Mohammed continues to benefit the orphaned and underprivileged children around Uganda. He aims to give them a better future through education, sports, and basic needs like housing, nutrition, and medication due to his commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.
Committed to peace and development on the continent, Mohammed is a role player, working behind the scenes to bring warring parties between nations, bridging talks and negotiations amongst countries’ leaders and (or) opponents.