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.