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In 1894, he graduated from the Law School, Cairo University. Three years later, he had another first degree in philosophy.

He started his career as a majestrate. Then he joined the Bar for some time before he was appointed as Curator of the National Library of Egypt.

He held several high administrative and ministerial posts including:
Rector, Egyptian University;
Minister of Public Instruction;

Minister of Interior; and
Chairman, Academy of Arabic language.

Ahmed Lotfi El-Sayyed contributed to introducing modern press into Egypt. In 1907, he founded the daily "Al-Gareeda" which was a forum of his nationalist ideas. In 1912, he contributed to the founding of the Egyptian Press Syndicate.

He played an active role in politics at a crucial juncture of the modern history of Egypt, when the entire nation was being mobilised to put an end to foreign occupation and to initiate a viable political and constitutional reform. He was Secretary of the Ummah (or nation) Party during World War I.
In 1918, he was member of Egypt's delegation to the Paris Conference for pressing for self-determination.

He died in 1963.