From 1932 to Now: The Legacy You Didn’t Know You Knew
July 21, 2025From 1932 to the UAE with Contrast TKP
August 17, 2025
Four Generations – One Legacy
Every great company has a story, but ours is written across four generations, each one adding a new chapter of ambition, skill, and vision.
It began in 1932, in the narrow streets of Old Cairo, with a young carpenter whose hands shaped more than wood — they shaped a reputation for trust and craftsmanship.
From there, each generation took the legacy further: crossing seas in search of knowledge, taking bold risks in times of challenge, building factories from the ground up, and bringing Egyptian craftsmanship to the world stage.
This is not just a history of furniture-making.
It’s a story of resilience, calculated risks, and a family’s determination to keep raising the bar — from the first handmade chair to landmark hotels, grand government buildings, and homes across the nation.
Four generations. One name.
And a journey that’s still being written.
First Generation
A Carpenter’s Dream, A Family’s Legacy
From Nowhere… to a Name Known Everywhere
In a time when craftsmanship spoke for its maker, there was a young man with big ambitions — Abdel Khaleq Elbadry.
A man with a true passion for woodworking, who respected the details and treated every piece he worked on as if it carried part of his soul.
He had no workshop, no fixed address, not even a sign above a door. But he had something far more important: patience, unmatched skill, and a level of craftsmanship that built unshakable trust with his clients.
How could a simple carpenter with no workshop become a well-known name across Egypt?
Abdel Khaleq started his journey on the streets of Old Cairo, going from house to house repairing furniture — fixing a chair here, restoring a cabinet there, bringing life back to tables that families thought were beyond repair.
Over time, the young man who only repaired furniture began to create it. He crafted his first chair by hand, then a small wardrobe, and eventually designed an entire dining table for a client who trusted him completely.
From the Streets to Old Cairo’s First Workshop
Without advertisements or marketing agencies, his name began to echo in the homes of Cairo — in both the grandest residences and the simplest apartments.
But he knew that working alone wasn’t enough. The dream in his mind needed a real place to grow.
That’s when he took his first big step: renting a small shop in the heart of Old Cairo and turning it into his very first workshop.
It was the beginning of a story that would grow into one of Egypt’s most enduring furniture legacies.
Second Generation
The Journey to France That Changed Everything
When the Sea Carried a Dream to France
On a boat in the middle of the sea, heading toward France — the land of elegance and art — stood Eng. Ali Abdel Khaleq Elbadry, looking ahead with a mix of two powerful emotions:
A natural fear of leaving his country and family behind in an age with no telephones or quick ways to reassure them… and a deep passion to learn the craft through advanced, scientific methods.
He believed with absolute clarity that education was the key. If he was going to take his father’s work to a new level, he had to travel, learn, and return with new tools, new knowledge, and a new vision.
Why the Second Generation’s France Journey Wasn’t a Gamble
Ali’s trip to France wasn’t a reckless adventure — it was a calculated step by someone who knew that when craftsmanship is combined with knowledge, it transforms into an institution that can grow and endure.
In France, he pursued his studies, earned his PhD, and saw firsthand the power of organization and planning. When he returned to Egypt, his mission wasn’t just to work, but to make a real impact.
Building on the First Generation’s Foundation
Ali’s trip to France wasn’t a reckless adventure — it was a calculated step by someone who knew that when craftsmanship is combined with knowledge, it transforms into an institution that can grow and endure.
In France, he pursued his studies, earned his PhD, and saw firsthand the power of organization and planning. When he returned to Egypt, his mission wasn’t just to work, but to make a real impact.
Transforming Education and Industry
At the Faculty of Applied Arts, he left a lasting mark as the first Head of the Interior Design & Furniture Department, developing academic curricula based on scientific principles and bridging what he had learned in France with the practical needs of the Egyptian market.
Ali’s journey was filled with hard work, strategic decisions, and genuine investment in education — but more than that, it marked the true beginning of a new era in our company’s story.
From the Battlefield to the Workshop
Before leading one of Egypt’s most ambitious furniture expansions, he was on the front lines of the October War — solving problems in the sky that brought fighter jets safely home.
The third generation’s story is one of bravery, bold risks, and building the foundations for a new industrial era.
The Third Generation
From War Hero to Industry Pioneer
The Genius in Warfields and Furniture Factories
The story begins inside the Military Technical College, before the October War broke out — a time when Egypt was facing one of the toughest periods in its history.
Eng. Raouf Ali Abdel Khaleq Elbadry graduated, ready to take on the mission of a lifetime: defending his country.
When the war began and the Deversoir Gap crisis unfolded, the Egyptian Air Force faced a major problem — fighter jets needed to return home, but doing so was nearly impossible. The solution required nothing short of a technical miracle, and that miracle came from an engineering modification carried out by Eng. Raouf himself, allowing the planes to return safely.
From the Battlefield to the Classroom
After the war, with the rank of Major General, numerous medals, and national honors, most would have expected his career to have reached its peak. But Raouf had a different vision.
He decided to start a new journey — far from military ranks and titles — driven by a genuine passion for craftsmanship and a desire to understand it at its deepest level.
He joined the Faculty of Applied Arts as a brand-new student. Initially, he was placed directly in the first year because of his engineering background, and he successfully advanced to the second year. But soon, a twist came — he was told he needed to start from the preparatory year.
For many, that news would have been discouraging. But for Raouf, it was a challenge he embraced. His determination to master the craft from its roots pushed him forward. He excelled, earned his Master’s degree and PhD, and eventually became Head of the Interior Design & Furniture Department at the Faculty of Applied Arts.
A Bold Leap – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Project (1992)
Can there be real success without risk? That question became real when the company received its first massive project — furnishing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters on the Nile Corniche.
The excitement was huge, but so was the financial challenge. A project of that scale required significant capital. The bold solution? Raouf decided to sell the company’s showroom in Suleiman Pasha Street, one of Downtown Cairo’s most important commercial locations. It was not an easy decision, but for him, risk-taking was a way of life.
The project was one of the most technically challenging of its time — from the minister’s office to employees’ workspaces, including intricate handcrafted wall claddings. The work was completed on time and at the highest quality.
Opening Doors to the Biggest Projects
The success of the Ministry project opened the doors to even larger opportunities. The company went on to furnish some of Egypt’s most prestigious hotels, including Hilton, Semiramis, Sheraton, and others.
But as the projects grew, so did the need for a larger production capacity. It became clear: to keep up, the company needed a state-of-the-art factory.
Abu Rawash Factory – A New Industrial Era (2000)
Once again, Raouf took a bold risk. In the year 2000, he sold a plot of land in 6th of October City to fund the establishment of a massive factory in Abu Rawash, covering 20,000 square meters. Equipped with the latest German and Italian machinery, it was designed to meet the demands of large-scale, high-quality production.
This was more than an expansion — it was the foundation for a new era, where vision, skill, and courage worked together to shape the future of the company.
Fourth Generation
Carrying the Greatest Responsibility
Expanding a Legacy Beyond 1932
Our story began in 1932 — a legacy built over decades, with a responsibility that goes beyond protecting a reputation. It’s about expanding, innovating, and evolving.
Eng. Ali Elbadry, a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, specialized in Architecture — what he calls “the mother of all arts”, with the architect being “the maestro”. His first role was outside the family business, at one of the largest consultancy firms, gaining experience, exposure to different cultures, and learning diverse ways of working.
A Father’s Preparation for a Son’s Future
Long before Ali’s official career began, Eng. Raouf Elbadry understood the weight of the family legacy and began preparing his son while he was still in elementary school.
Young Ali would visit the workshop, learn how carpenters organized their tools, understand the functions of the machines, and accompany his father to project sites — including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — as a child.
From this early exposure grew a deep passion for the craft and a vision for the future. That vision later took him to England, where he earned his Master’s degree in Interior Design from Brighton University before returning to take on leadership in the family business.
The Challenge of Mass Customization
One day, a massive project landed on his desk — furnishing the hotels of El Galala. Many companies had withdrawn due to the project’s complexity. The challenge? Mass Customization — producing large quantities with variations in design and materials.
Technically, it was difficult, but the Abu Rawash Factory had been equipped to handle such large-scale, specialized work. Over four years, the project was successfully delivered.
Expanding the Company’s Footprint
Our track record in the hotel sector began with Eng. Raouf, but under Ali’s leadership, it expanded dramatically. The company executed landmark projects including El Galala and Al Alamein hotels, becoming the first choice for major projects.
Reinventing the Business Model
With demand growing and recognition increasing among consultants and top hotels, Ali looked beyond production. He initiated a factory reorganization — creating a dedicated department for large-scale projects and a separate one for retail showroom clients, each with its own management.
While the company had participated in exhibitions under Raouf’s leadership, Ali’s era marked major expansion — taking part in every major furniture exhibition before opening our first showroom in New Cairo, followed by Nasr City, and then Heliopolis.
Ali’s vision for the company is boundless. In 2025, he decided to launch a new brand reflecting his vision — unveiled at Le Marché — as a true representation of Elbadry’s history and future, with an expansion plan beyond Egypt’s borders.
Our story began in 1932. For 93 years, each generation has faced its own challenge — to develop, to expand, and to keep moving forward.
And our story is still being written.
