Ex-Harrods Owner Mohamed Al-Fayed Passes Away Aged 94

THE Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrod’s passed away on Wednesday, August 30, aged 94.

As reported by Sky News, the billionaire Egyptian businessman will be buried later this evening after prayers at London Central Mosque, located near Regents Park. He passed away just one day before the anniversary of his son Dodi’s death in Paris with Princess Diana.

‘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, August 30, 2023’, read a statement released by Fulham FC on behalf of the businessman’s family.

It continued: ‘He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones. The family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this time’.

He previously owned Fulham FC

Al-Fayed also previously owned Fulham FC, where he spent time as the club’s chairman, and was still the owner of the luxurious Hotel Ritz Paris at the time of his death.

He was estimated by forbes.com to be worth around $2 billion in 2023 which ranked him as the world’s 1,493rd richest person.

A statement on the official X (formerly Twitter) account read: ‘Everyone at Fulham was incredibly saddened to learn of the death of our former Owner and Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed. We owe Mohamed a debt of gratitude for what he did for our Club, and our thoughts now are with his family and friends at this sombre time’.

Everyone at Fulham was incredibly saddened to learn of the death of our former Owner and Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed.

We owe Mohamed a debt of gratitude for what he did for our Club, and our thoughts now are with his family and friends at this sombre time.

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 1, 2023

Shahid Khan succeeded him at Fulham in 2013

Shahid Khan, his successor at Fulham, paid tribute on fulhamfc.com by saying: ‘On behalf of everyone at Fulham Football Club, I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed upon the news of his passing at age 94’.

He continued: ‘The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Mr Al Fayed as Chairman. His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, a Europa League Final, and moments of magic by players and teams alike’.

‘I always enjoyed my time with Mr Al Fayed, who was wise, colourful, and committed to Fulham, and I am forever grateful for his trust in me to succeed him as Chairman in 2013’, Shahid Khan added.

‘I join our supporters around the world in celebrating the memory of Mohamed Al Fayed, whose legacy will always be at the heart of our tradition at Fulham Football Club’, he concluded.

After 16 years at the helm of the Cottagers, Al Fayed sold Fulham to Mr Khan in 2013. He said at the time: ‘My time of serving as the custodian of Fulham Football Club would one day come to an end, and I feel that time has now arrived’.

‘The time is right because I have found a very good man in Shahid Khan to accept the responsibility and privilege that I have enjoyed at Fulham since 1997’, he explained.

‘Fulham will be in very good hands with Shahid, whose success in business and passion for sport is very evident. I ask everyone who loves Fulham and our Craven Cottage home to welcome Shahid as he begins his journey as the next guardian of Fulham Football Club’, Mr Al Fayed added.

He accused the British establishment of being involved in the death of his son Dodi

Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, the often controversial and often abrasive businessman accused the British establishment of being involved in the death of his son Dodi.

Dodi Al Fayed died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, along with his then-partner Princess Diana. The anniversary of their tragic accident was celebrated yesterday, August 31.

After the death of the lovers in Paris’s Alma tunnel, Mr Al Fayed spent a decade repeatedly claiming that they were murdered in a plot by the security services and the Duke of Edinburgh.

However, after a high-profile six-month inquest in 2007 and 2008 where the jury returned unlawful killing verdicts on both Diana and Dodi, he reluctantly conceded defeat.

The blame for the couple’s death was blamed on their chauffeur Henri Paul – who also died in the crash – who was accused of drink-driving at the time of the crash.