Sufi Abu Taleb

Sufi Abu Taleb (Arabic: صوفى أبو طالب‎ Ṣūfī Abū Ṭālib; January 27, 1925 – February 21, 2008) was an Egyptian politician. He served as Speaker of the People's Assembly from 1978 to 1983 and, upon the assassination of Anwar El Sadat on 6 October 1981, assumed the duties of Acting head of state, as which he served for eight days until the accession of Hosni Mubarak.

Early life

Abu Taleb was born in Tameyya in Fayyum Governorate. Upon completion of high school, he joined the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in 1946. He received also a diploma in Public Law in 1947, and in 1948 he was given a scholarship and sent to France and joined the University of Paris where he received a diploma in History of Law and Roman Law in 1949 and a diploma in Private Law in 1950. In 1957 he obtained his Ph.D., his thesis winning the University Award. In 1959, he received a diploma in Laws of Mediterranean Sea from Sapienza University of Rome.

He served as President of Cairo University, as a member of the Islamic Research Academy and founded Fayoum University.