Princesse El-Materi Holdings Princesse El-Materi Holdings Princesse El Materi Holding was a company created by the Tunisian businessman Sakher El Materi, the son-in-law of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was President of Tunisia until 2011. Princesse El Materi Holdings used nepotism and improper money to acquire illegitimate businesses. Under Ben Ali's rule, the company become one of the largest conglomerates in Tunisia. It actively held companies in six different industry sectors, including News and Media, Banking and Financial Services, Automotive, Shipping and Cruises, Real Estate and Agriculture. On November 22, 2010, the group also diversified into the Telecommunication industry. Princesse El Materi
Tunisian Revolution immolation and the subsequent heavy-handed response by the police to peaceful marchers caused riots the next day in Sidi Bouzid that went largely unnoticed, although social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube featured images of police dispersing youths who attacked shop windows and damaged cars. Bouazizi was subsequently transferred to a hospital near Tunis. In an attempt to quell the unrest President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali visited Bouazizi in hospital on 28 December 2010. Bouazizi died on 4 January 2011. On 28 November 2010, WikiLeaks and five major newspapers (Spain's "El País", France's "Le Monde", Germany's "Der Spiegel",