Al Arabiya has a fascinating story about the only Egyptian on the Titanic. His name is Hammad Hassab and was 27-year-old in 1912. Excerpts below:
The story of Hassab’s trip on the Titanic goes back to winter 1912 when an American millionaire called Henry Harper came to Cairo with his wife and stayed at the Shepherd Hotel in Downtown Cairo. Harper asked Thomas and Hook for a translator and he got Hassab.
When the trip was about to come to an end, Harper told Hassab that he was most welcome to come with them to the United States if he wanted. Hassab agreed immediately to what seemed to have started as a joke then was later taken seriously.
Harper, his wife, and Hassab as well as the dog, all survived since they were quick to get on a life boat (see picture above). The boat that embarked on was the third out of the total of 20 which was equipped. Harper and Hassab were not supposed to have access to a life boat that quickly since priority was given to women and children.
Why would Harper buy Hassab (according to Encyclopedia Titanica "quite a handsome man. He was unmarried") a first class ticket on the Titanic ($8,000 in today's money) to travel with him and his wife back to the United States remains a mystery. Hassab later left America back to Egypt and resumed his work as a translator.
