Rady Fahmy, who led a resurgence of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), died on October 16 after a long illness.

Fahmy earned a master of arts degree in economics from the American University in London and a master of business administration degree from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. Fahmy led the team that closed a joint-venture between superyacht builder De Birs Yachts and the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund. De Birs principal and colleague Tarek Ragheb went on to found AfBAA and appointed Fahmy to the position of CEO.

”As a leading light in the development of AfBAA, he was integral in putting African business aviation on the international map and uniting companies across the continent and the world to realize the opportunities in Africa,” said long-time friend and colleague Jane Stanbury, president of Arena Group. “His dynamism, charm, and endless ideas helped create the association that went on to become the 15th member of IBAC.”

Following his leadership of AfBAA, Fahmy helped launch an education system to help children learn about science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on experiences, called Engeenius. “It was going well,” Stanbury said. “He, as usual, threw his heart and soul into it. He was a sincere gentleman with a bright and positive outlook on everything.”

A funeral for Fahmy was held in Montreal on October 20. He is survived by his wife and twin children.