Ahmed Heikal is the Founder and Chairman of Qalaa Holdings, an investment company he co-founded in 2004 as Citadel Capital. It has evolved from a private equity firm into a long term strategic investor across core infrastructure sectors, including energy, cement, logistics, agribusiness and mining. In 2026, Qalaa reported a 118% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue to EGP 54.5 billion, up from EGP 25.1 billion in 2025, while recurring EBITDA rose 880% to EGP 18.2 billion. The group returned to profit, posting EGP 2.0 billion in net income after minority interests, against a loss of EGP 1.2 billion a year earlier.