TRENDSETTERS

Egypt’s Oriental Weavers was taken over by the second generation of the Khamis family, spearheaded by sisters Yasmine and Farida, in 2020. They’re striving to build on the legacy of their father, Mohamed Farid Khamis, while continuing to be a global player in the rug and carpet business.

- SAMUEL WENDEL

Whether it’s in a home, office, or hotel, the rug underfoot can easily be an afterthought—something Egypt’s Oriental Weavers has sought to correct.

“Over the last 15 years, we’ve tried to change the rug from being a necessity in the room setting to being a fashion item,” says Yasmine Mohamed Farid Khamis, chair of the multinational rug and carpet manufacturer.

That’s one reason why every minute, the company sells an average of 48 rugs and carpets—roughly 69,120 units every day. The result is strong revenues—roughly $600 million in 2021—and a 16% share of the world’s carpet market, according to the company. Founded by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Farid Khamis in 1979, Oriental Weavers is considered one of the largest machine-made rug and carpet manufacturers in the world, with factories in Egypt and the U.S. Today, as part of the Orientals Group, the company, which produces 114 million square meters of carpet annually, exports over 65% of its floor coverings, with the U.S. its largest market and IKEA its largest customer. As of August 2022, the publicly-traded company had a market cap of $240 million.