MENA House: Mohammed al Fayed and How Harrods Became Egyptian

Last Saturday, the news struck the media that Mohammed al Fayed, the Egyptian business tycoon, would be selling Harrods.  Once surprise settled, the question was, "Who bought it and for how much?"

The answer...to the Qatari royal family’s investment company, Qatari Holdings for a reported £1.5 billion. Al Fayed invested well, considering he purchased Harrods in 1985 for "only" £615 million.

MENA House: Sinai Liberation Day in Egypt

In Al Fayed’s true, colourful style he has left his mark on Harrods, spending a total sum of £300 million.  In a rare interview with an Egyptian presenter, conducted in 2002 by Hala Sarhan, al Fayed discussed the refurbishment Harrods had undergone during his ownership.  It was not just a complete face-lift; it was a cultural reconstruction.  Taking Harrod’s back to his Egyptian roots, al-Fayed altered the internal structure of the building.


Permanent structures

Al Fayed added his own special touches such as the infamous Harrods escalator.  The historical distinction is that Harrods was the first building with a "moving stairlift" in the UK.  At the official opening on 16 November 1898, nervous customers were given brandy at the top of the escalator to calm themselves down.

In 1985, under the new ownership of al Fayed, the escalator became a "£20 million homage to ancient Egypt".  William George Mitchell, the Director of Design at Harrods, and experts from the British Museum of Authenticity, designed the stairlift to be a walk-in sculpture: "The viewer would be transported on the escalator, as if travelling through the Lower Nile to the Upper Nile."

Both the "Egyptian Room" and the Egyptian escalators are listed as "English Heritage", meaning they cannot be removed.

"Ancient Egypt"

William Mitchell also carved spectacular Ancient Egyptian images from the top floor to the ground level.  Each floor represents a different site from the Temple of Denderra to Giza.

In addition, each floor reflects the items being sold on that level.  For example, where a harpist and group have been carved into the walls, musical instruments are for sale.  Where the "Chairman of Eternity" lays, there is an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus --- similar to that of Tutakhamun (but, somehow, with an image with very similar features to al-Fayed) --- "holding" Harrods.

Mohammed Al Fayed’s Legacy

A colourful character indeed, al Fayed ensured that he would leave his mark on what is not only a shopping exhibition but also a tourist attraction. Despite or because of being rejected on several occasions in his efforts to gain British citizenship, the Egyptian business tycoon has ensured that he is stamped into British history.

Al-Fayed insists on ensuring his legacy and that of his family will live on and Harrods is the place to do it. In one of the most famous stores in the world, a memorial for Dodi al-Fayed (Mohammed al Fayed’s son) and Princess Diana is a permanent reminder of al-Fayed's connected with British Royalty.

Al Fayed also wanted to be buried in a sarcophagus, placed in a glass studio on the top floor in his private suite.  In Hala Sarhan’s interview, the eccentric character claimed that he wanted to be buried in Harrods so that his spirit would roam the infamous store forever more.

Since the sale of Harrod’s to a fellow Arab, Qatar’s Amir, al-Fayed's burial wish will remain a mystery. Wherever his body eventually lies is tangential, however: Mohammed al-Fayed’s legacy will remain in Britain for a long time to come.

MENA House: Sinai Liberation Day in Egypt (Baghdady)

During a recent conversation with a friend of mine in Egypt, I was surprised to hear she’d be enjoying a long weekend (Friday, Saturday AND Sunday); turns out that 25 April was, in fact, a public holiday.

A TV crew from a private media outlet in Egypt decided to roam the streets of Cairo asking the public this question: "Why are we celebrating today?" It was amusing or disturbing, depending on how you look at it, to find that all those interviewed had very little idea.

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A majority understood it was "something to do with the Liberation of Sinai". If they passed that test, the interviewer would ask, "How was this achieved?". A resounding silence or an "I think..." was the general collective response. Whilst some blamed their lack of knowledge on the information (or lack of) passed on during their days of education, others were simply just glad to have the day off, whatever the reason.


This is the background to "Sinai Liberation Day":

The day marks the final departure of the Israeli army from the Sinai, fulfilling the mandate of the 1978 Camp David agreements. On 25 April 1982, President Hosni Mubarak raised the Egyptian flag over the Sinai.

While the first part of the Camp David agreement focused  on the Israeli/Palestinian land dispute and the status of Jerusalem, the focal point of the second part  was the restoration of Egyptian-Israeli relations. The Israeli army agreed to evacuate its troops and 4,500 civilians out of the Sinai, which it had occupied since the 1967 Six Day War, as well as returning the Abu Redeis oil fields in Western Sinai to Egypt.

The Result?

Firstly, nostalga, patriotic praise, and pride, even if some may not know the details of 25 April 1982. The Sinai holds both historical and religious significance. It is the "East Gate of Egypt" where Ramses II fought with the Hittites and the site where Egypt fought the 1956, 1967, and 1973 wars with Israel. It was the location for the Exodus of the Israelites and Moses' receipt of the Ten Commandments.

Secondly, more holiday destinations to promote. The Sinai Peninsula from east to west, from the Aqaba Gulf to the Suez Canal, is a total of 870 kilometres (540 miles) in length with 30% of Egypt’s coastline. The return of the Sinai meant the return of Sharm el Sheikh, Taba (returned on 29 September 1988), Safaga, Ras Mohammed, Dahab, el Arish, Taba and Nuweiba: all on the Red Sea and all essential to the tourist industry in Egypt.

Last but certainly not least, natural resources. Here lie cement, magnesium, copper, precious stones, white and black sand (used for solar energy), uranium, marble, phosphate, and other minerals. With 6% of Egypt’s total land mass, -the Sinai is a gold mine, a diamond in the rough, its holdings waiting to be extracted and produced for the financial benefit of Egypt. And, in contrast to this exploitation, the Sinai mountains have been preserved for their "natural beauty".

On 13 October 1994, Dr Gamal Ganzoury , then Prime Minister, introduced "The National Project" for the purpose of "development" in the Sinai region. A sum of 75 billion Egyptian pounds (EGP) was to support this from 1994-2017.

When television presenter Mohammed Naser interviewed Dr Hassan Rateb, Chairman on the Board of Trustees at Sinai University, in April about the progress of ‘The National Project, the analyses wasn’t very promising. The total amount of investment projects in the region have come to 110 billion EGP; these are the outcomes:

• In the fishing industry in the Sinai region, they have reached 30% of their target.


• In projects relating to petrol in the region, they have reached 66% of their target.


• In projects relating to tourism, they have reached 38% of their target.


• In housing projects, they have only completed 5% of their target.

Many jobs were supposed to be created. However the growing trend is that labourers coming from Upper Egypt would start work and then be unable to return to their jobs. Coming back from holidays in Upper Egypt with the family, they are stopped at checkpoints. If they are unable to provide the sufficient paperwork, they never get back to the Sinai.

Where is the project money going? Well, just like the interviewer's, "Why are we celebrating today?", it is a question that gets few clear answers.