Ahmed Marei, founder

IIt has always been fascinating to me how simple events can change history. We sometimes reflect on the way a quick decision can change our own lives, but do we think of decisions made by our ancestors and how they can profoundly affect the present and future? 

1935, Egypt; Ahmed Marei visited the Royal Agricultural Society and selected two young fillies for purchase, Bint Magboura (Ibn Rabdan x Magboura), and Bint Bint Bint Riyala (Ibn Rabdan x Bint Bint Riyala). It was to be a day that was to turn the tides for the Arabian horse across the globe. 

In time, Ahmed's son, Dr. Sayed Marei, grew up to be a very important man in Egyptian politics, but his love for the family horses was first in his heart. Following in his father’s footsteps, he took a great interest in continuing the breeding program.

In 1951, the Marei family moved from Banha, to Giza, at the base of the Great Pyramids, and adopted the name Al Badeia (meaning wild, open desert).  It was then that they also shifted their breeding philosophy to the ultimate goal of breeding the purest and most classical Egyptian Arabian possible. The Marei name has since been linked with classical Egyptian Arabian Horses like no other private breeder.

In 1961, under the rule of Nasser, the Arabian horse in Egypt was threatened with extinction. To further Nasser’s goals of creating a socialist nation for Egypt, Nasser made it practically illegal to own assets of any significance. Many of the affluent families that owned and bred horses had no more financial means to support horses. Their horses, along with their wealth were nationalized. Horses were dispersed ,given away and no longer cared for .The lucky ones were collected in the Egyptian Agricultural Organization. At one point the regime decided that keeping breeding horses was still a symbol of the past and thus the horses of the EAO should also be dispersed 

Sayed Marei, then Minister of Agriculture, acting alone with no political backing, and risking his career, approached Nasser with a long passionate plea in defense of the horses. His words were, "...it will be as if are erasing the great pyramids of Egypt." It was Dr. Sayed Marei who was able to convince Nasser to leave the horses alone. As a sole result of this act, we have the Egyptian Arabian horse today. 

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