Mohamed Al-Fayed, ex-owner of Fulham, Harrods dies

Egyptian billionaire and business magnate, Mohamed Al-Fayed, popularly known for his ownership of Harrods Store in London, is dead.

He died today at the ripe age of 94.

A funeral service was held at London Central Mosque in Regents Park on Friday – following Islamic conventions.

He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1929 and moved to the UK in the 1960s.

He was among the early driving force in the development of Dubai in the UAE. He later bought House of Fraser, including Harrods, with his brothers.

Fulham FC, which he also owned from 1997 till 2013, issued a rousing tribute, by its chairman Shahid Khan, who succeeded him.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

Fulham was not the only business of Al Fayed, who mingled with British Royalty while he held sway at Harrods.

He also owned the Ritz Hotel in Paris till his death and 75 Rockefeller Plaza.

Al Fayed gained media attention due to his son Dodi’s relationship with Princess Diana.

Both Dodi and Diana died in a car crash in 1997, leading Al-Fayed to claim that their deaths were part of a conspiracy.