Ali Abrasi… From the Dream of Owning a Truck to an Empire of Thirty Rigs| Sudanow Magazine

Khartoum – (Sudanow)

Anyone who hears the name of the Sudanese businessman Ali Abrasi might assume he inherited wealth and prestige. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. Abrasi built his financial empire through relentless work, long nights, and bold ventures, rising from a modest trader to one of Sudan’s most prominent businessmen.

Abrasi’s journey began in the 1960s across the towns of Nyala, Zalingei, and El Obeid, where he was a young man chasing opportunity in the vast rural landscapes of Darfur. Driving an old Land Rover and moving between villages and markets, he was already driven by an ambition that set him apart. His friend and relative Awad Karrar recalls meeting him during those early years in western Sudan—dusty, exhausted, yet clearly determined.

Abrasi often reminisced about those days:
“We all shared a deep sense of belonging to this country. We crossed the countryside with our camels, moving from one village to another, spending our nights beneath the shade of large fig trees. We hunted gazelles by the light of the truck’s headlamps and roasted them under the moon. I still remember New Year’s Eve in 1962—my cousin and I sitting under a tree, drinking tea in the dark silence of the night, broken only by the distant calls of birds.”

In his early trading years, Abrasi moved between Al-Duweim, Nyala, Zalingei, and Port Sudan, before eventually settling in Omdurman, where a new chapter of his life began. There he established a company importing tea, flour, and textiles, later expanding into exporting vegetable oils to Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the Netherlands. Over time, he earned a reputation as a sharp and reliable trader who understood the intricacies of commerce.

The turning point in his career came when he noticed the decline of Sudan’s railway system and the growing congestion of goods at Port Sudan. Recognizing the opportunity, he decided to establish a modern transport company—despite lacking the capital to do so.

He knocked on many doors seeking financing but was repeatedly turned away. Eventually, he approached his uncle, Omar Abdel-Salam, asking him to guarantee a bank loan. His uncle initially asked, “On what basis should I guarantee you?” Feeling discouraged, Abrasi left. But his uncle soon followed him and explained that the question had simply been a test of his determination. In the end, he agreed to provide the necessary guarantees.

With that support, Abrasi imported 30 Italian Fiat trucks (IVECO)—a step that marked the birth of Abrasi Transport Company, which would later become one of the largest transport enterprises in Sudan.

Abrasi later reflected on that moment with pride:
“I once dreamed of owning a single truck and opening a small shop. By the grace of God, I owned thirty trucks before I was even twenty-four.”

From that moment forward, his investments expanded across multiple sectors inside and outside Sudan. He established factories, companies, and farms, gradually building a business network that stretched beyond the country’s borders.

The outbreak of war in Sudan on April 15 dealt a devastating blow to his business empire. While Abrasi was in the holy lands performing Umrah, his gas cylinder factory in the industrial area of Bahri (Khartoum North) was completely destroyed. More than 70,000 gas cylinders were looted, and investments worth tens of millions of dollars were reduced to ashes.

Despite the scale of the loss, Abrasi remained remarkably composed. He would often say:
“The most important thing is for Sudan to recover.”

He soon resumed his business activities abroad, strengthening his existing investments in Uganda, particularly in coffee and bean production, and launching fisheries projects aimed at export markets.

Among his greatest ambitions was the establishment of a national airline called “Abrasi Aviation.” He had already begun taking the initial steps toward this project, hoping one day to see it take flight.

Beyond his commercial success, Abrasi was also active in public and political life. His star rose when he served as Mayor of Omdurman in the early 1980s, issuing a controversial decision to close bars and prohibit alcohol sales in the city—a move that sparked significant debate at the time.

For decades, he remained involved in Sudanese political life, serving as a member of several parliaments and people’s councils, and was known for his outspoken criticism of economic policies during the era of the Salvation Government.

When the recent war erupted, Abrasi was among the first businessmen to support the Sudanese Armed Forces, contributing large sums of money—donations he never publicly disclosed.

One army commander stationed in the Jabal Sarkab area recounts a revealing story about Abrasi’s character. Abrasi owned a large farm there, filled with fruit trees, hundreds of cattle, poultry, and egg production facilities. When the army contacted him to purchase the farm’s produce to feed thousands of soldiers—promising payment after the war—Abrasi responded:

“My son, you are offering your lives for Sudan. Why would you buy the farm from me? Everything in it is yours. Please do not speak to me about money.”

Just a week before his death, Abrasi donated funds to drill dozens of water wells in Muslim communities in Uganda. He also supported hundreds of families displaced by the war and sponsored dozens of students—charitable acts many of which were carried out quietly and without publicity.

Thus ended the remarkable journey of Ali Abrasi—a man who began with a simple dream of owning a single truck, yet went on to build a vast business empire spanning Sudan and beyond, leaving behind a legacy of enterprise, resilience, and generosity that continues to resonate among those who knew him.

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