Farid’s Story
In 2015, the former Hyatt United Church on Hamilton Road was purchased by Farid Metwaly and he transformed it into Hyatt Mosque and Center. The church had become vacant due to declining attendance and the costs of maintenance were too high. Farid and the community group he was apart of (ECCOO -Egyptian Community Centre of Ontario) saw an opportunity to restore the building to its old glory and use it for a place of worship, education, and community support. Farid retired early after a successful career at IBM, during which he innovated the arabization of computer keyboards. Farid was known for his kind and generous nature, and he envisioned and worked towards Hyatt being a great place of worship, education, and community support.
Farid passed away in January 28 2021 after a courageous battle with cancer. Though he is no longer with us, we are committed to carrying on his legacy through the various initiatives at Hyatt Mosque and Center.
Farid was one of the most accomplished computer engineers in the Canadian Arab community, having earned a B.Sc. in Engineering and M.Sc. in Computer Science from Alexandria University. After moving to Canada he had a very successful career in technology and innovation, starting in 1981 as a Senior Development Manager at IBM’s Toronto Software Lab, and assuming increasingly executive positions up to and including Vice President, Engineering and Technology for Europe, Middle East, Africa (2003-2007). He later served as Vice President, Global Strategy and Innovation for AMD, the world-renowned semiconductor technology company. Farid chose to retire early to dedicate his life to his family, community and philanthropy.
While his career, success and achievements were epic and impressive to all, those who knew him personally were even more impressed by, and will always remember him for his humble, gentle, generous and kind character
