Former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, dead aged 94

Egyptian businessman, and self-made billionaire, Mohamed Al Fayed had died aged 94, nearly twenty-six years after his eldest son Dodi was killed in a car crash in Paris.

Fulham FC released a statement: “Mrs Mohamed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday 30 August 2023”.

The statement further read that he “enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones”.

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Former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, dead aged 94 | Baaghi TV

Credit: Mohamed Al-Fayed with his son Dodi Al-Fayed, who passed away in the same car crash as Diana.

Mohamed Al Fayed’s death comes almost twenty-six years after his son Dodi Fayed and Diana, Princess of Wales, were killed in a Paris car crash in 1997. According to the statement released by Fulham FC, the family has requested their privacy be respected at this difficult time.

Born in Alexandria as the son of a schoolteacher, Fayed’s career as a businessman began once he met his first wife, Samira Khashoggi. His role as a member of the Khashoggi family helped him to build connections in Egypt prior to enabling his shipping business before he became an adviser to the Sultan of Brunei, in 1966.

The businessman moved to Britain in 1970 and eventually bought the Paris Ritz Hotel in 1979 alongside his brother. Then in 1985, he set his sights on the Harrods department store. After a “bitter battle” with Roland Rowland, the brothers succeeded in clinching it with an estimated £615m takeover bid. A government investigation into the matter revealed that the brothers had reportedly been dishonest about their wealth and its origins.

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According to a BBC report, despite living in Britain for decades, Fayed was never granted citizenship which prompted him to threaten a move to France on the basis that the latter was offering him a Legion of Honour (its highest civilian award).

In 2010, the Egyptian businessman sold Harrods as part of an investment for Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund for approximately £1.5bn. Speaking with the Financial Times, in 2002, Fayed expressed the desire to have his body displayed in a glass mausoleum on the Harrods roof so “people can come and visit me”.

In 1997, he bought Fulham FC (football club) for an estimated £6.25m and transformed it into a “top-flight side” according to British media. In 2013, however, he sold the club to Shahid Khan who upon hearing of Fayed’s passing said: “I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed upon the news of his passing at age 94”.

CREDIT: Mohamed Al Fayed standing beside a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, and his son Dodi in the Harrods store in Knightsbridge, London. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe/The Guardian.

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Khan added, “The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Al Fayed as chairman”.

Following the tragic demise of his son alongside Princess Diana, the Egyptian billionaire fought legal battles for years, blaming the British security services for their role in the deaths. Fayed believed, the crash was not a mere accident rather it had been orchestrated by the British security services. However, an investigation by the French police concluded that the crash was an accident caused by overspeeding. They further revealed the driver Henri Paul showed signs of high alcohol levels.

Former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, dead aged 94 | Baaghi TV