Former Harrods and Fulham owner dies aged 94

Billionaire former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed has died aged 94, his family has confirmed.

Mr Al Fayed – the dad of Princess Diana’s former partner Dodi – died on Wednesday August 30 – exactly 26 years after his son died.

Mr Al Fayed’s family confirmed his death in a statement issued by Fulham FC, the Premier League club he used to own between 1997 and 2013.

It is understood a funeral service was held for the Egyptian-born businessman at London Central Mosque in Regents Park on Friday, Mail Online reports.

In a statement released by the club, his family said: “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.

“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.”

According to a source said the businessman’s funeral service went ahead as planned, adding: ”The prayers were held in the mosque after Friday prayer – the prayer for the deceased.”

The football club said it was “incredibly saddened” by the death of its former owner.

In a tweet, the west London club said: “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.”

And in a tribute on the club’s website, Mr Khan who bought the club from Mr Al Fayed, said: “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.”

Film producer Dodi died on August 31 1997 in the same car crash in Paris as Princess Diana.

His father claimed after the crash was not an accident and that it had been orchestrated by the British security services and the Royal family because they did not want the pair to marry

Mr Mr Al Fayed was forced to concede defeat after a high-profile six-month inquest in 2007 and 2008.

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The jury returned unlawful killing verdicts on both Diana and Dodi, but pinned the blame on the drink-driving of their chauffeur Henri Paul, who also died in the crash.

Mr Al Fayed’s passing death comes after the 26th anniversary of his son’s death on Thursday.

Mr Al Fayed later announced he would accept the verdict of the inquest jury, albeit “with reservations”.

Mohamed Al Fayed was born in the Egyptian city on the Mediterranean, the son of a school inspector.

He came to London in the 1960s and set about building a business empire.

Mr Al Fayed later expanded his business interests to include the Paris Ritz and Fulham Football Club.

In 2010, he decided to sell Harrods to Qatar’s royal family for a reported £1.5bn.

The Sunday Times Rich List from 2021 reported that Mohamed Al-Fayed and family were worth around £1.7 billion.

Additional reporting by Press Association.