Mott MacDonald a British civil engineer and later politician. The company formed out of affairs relating directly to British infrastructure development in Egypt between 1890 and 1930, in particular MacDonald's involvement with Aswan Low Dam, starting in 1898. MacDonald was involved in the original construction of the Aswan Dam and later became an advisor to the Egyptian Ministry of Public Works after the dam was completed in 1902. He became closely associated with the development and first heightening of the Aswan Low Dam for the development of hydroelectricity. MacDonald retired from his service with the Egyptian government in 1921 and returned to
Aswan Low Dam granite. When constructed, the Old Aswan Dam was the largest masonry dam in the world. The design also included a navigation lock of similar construction on the western bank, which allowed shipping to pass upstream as far as the second cataract, whereas a portage overland was previously required. At the time of its construction, nothing of such scale had ever been attempted. Despite initial limitations imposed on its height, due to concern for the Philae Temple, the initial construction was soon found to be inadequate for development needs, and the height of the dam was raised in two phases, between