He was born in Alexandria in 1918 to a family that comes from Assiut Govornorate.

He was brought up and educated in Alexandria and Cairo.

 He graduated from the Military Academy in 1938 and was appointed as an Officer in the Infantry in Assiut.

 He worked in Sudan then he was appointed as an instructor in the Military Academy.

He joined the General Staff Academy where he was appointed as an instructor.

Participated in 1948 Palestine War and was besieged with his troop in Al Falouga.

He organized the Free Officers Movement.

He became the Prime Minister in 1954 and signed with Britain the evacuation of British forces agreement from the Canal base in July 27, 1954.

He played a key role in Bandung Conference in 1955 in which the non-alignment call was launched.

In 1956, a referendum was conducted on the new constitution and on electing him for the presidency of the Republic.

He nationalized the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956 which led to the tripartite aggression against Egypt.

He inaugurated the first People's Council on July 22, 1957.

He became the President of the United Arab Republic which was established between Egypt and Syria in February 1958 and continued until September 1961.

Issued the Land Reform Law to eliminate feudalism.

He sat up the cornerstone of the High Dam.

He issued a wide range of socialist resolutions in July 1961 among which are: limiting agricultural land ownership to 100 feddans per family; nationalizing the major institutions; and granting the workers and the peasants the revolutionary merits.

He initiated the Liberation Organization in 1953, the National Union in May 1957, and the Socialist Union in 1962.

He supported the national liberation movements in Africa and the Arab countries.

He wrote a book titled “The Revolution's Philosophy”.

He died on September 28, 1970.