Seoudi and Zad to be re-opened under Egyptian government's control

Egypt's ministry of supply stated on Monday that two retailers closed just a day before by authorities, Seoudi and Zad supermarkets, will be placed under the control of the Egyptian Food Industries Holding Company (FIH), Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.

Egypt's FIH handles 650 wholesalers and 210 retailers nationwide under the aim of providing Egyptians with low-price staples.

The two supermarket chains were ordered on Sunday to be shut and placed under government surveillance on accusations of backing the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

According to Al-Ahram, the supply ministry will re-operate the chains after finishing the commodities' inventory, adding that the workers' rights and payments will not be touched.

Zad market, which opened in 2012, is owned by prominent Brotherhood leader and businessman Khairat El-Shater, now in jail on a variety of charges. The market has 15 stores in Cairo's Nasr City district.

Seoudi, however, was established in 1938. Its approximately nine branches were owned by the businessman Abdel-Rahman Seoudi, who was arrested in 2007 and later acquitted of charges of belonging to the banned group.

An anonymous source familiar with the matter told Ahram Online that Seoudi won't be available for comments, as he is currently outside Egypt.