History

The Order of Merit was instituted by Governmental Law on behalf of King Ahmad in 1953 as a general award for meritorious service. The Order is conferred in 5 classes upon Egyptian nationals as well as to foreigners who render valuable services to Egypt. The Class awarded is dependent upon the nature of recognized service and the recipient's status.

The Grand Officer is awarded as the II Class award and is worn from a neck ribbon. It features an obverse Arabic inscription which translates to "Merit."

There are 2 versions of the Grand Officer which vary by the suspension design. Early versions feature a design of an Egyptian Eagle while later versions implemented since 1972 feature a design of a United Arab Republic Hawk.

There may be variations in the design of the Eagle and Hawk suspensions. For instance, suspensions which feature a 3-coloured enamelled Republic shield and suspensions which feature 2 silver stars engraved on the shield, may be encountered. However, more research is necessary.