Mohamed AL FAYED

Chairman, Harrods Limited

Mr Mohamed Al Fayed was born on 27 January 1933 in Alexandria. Under his leadership, the Fayed Group became known in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. He developed interests in construction, oil trading and oil exploration, banking, real estate and international marine services.

Mr Al Fayed came to world attention through his purchase of two major businesses that can rightly be described as "national institutions". In 1979, he bought L'Hotel Ritz in Paris and in 1985, he acquired Britain's biggest department store group, House of Fraser with its flagship store in London - Harrods. Mr Al Fayed has proved to be a most devoted hotelier and through his personal dynamism and supreme sense of style and taste, he has succeeded in restoring L'Hotel Ritz to its former glory. The restoration took 10 years and the expenditure of more than US$250million.

To date, he has invested more than £400m to restore the world's most-celebrated department store to its former glory so that today Harrods is one British institution in which everyone can take pleasure and pride. Every year Harrods attracts 12million customers from all over the world. Its staff of 5,000 includes people from more than 50 sovereign countries. Although the department store is unique, it has established a network of more than 50 Harrods Signature shops around the world, from Japan to Frankfurt.

In 1980, Mr Al Fayed jointly produced the film "Chariots of Fire" which is the only entirely British film to have been honoured by the American Academy of Motion Picture arts with four "Oscars".

Mr. Al Fayed has received many honours, including the "La Grande Medaille" from the City of Paris, the plaque of the City of Paris, the city's highest award, a member of the "Legion d'Honneur" by President Mitterand in 1993, Commendatore of the Order of Merit from the Italian Republic.

In 1994, Mr Al Fayed floated the House of Fraser Stores company on the London Stock Exchange. In 1996, Mr Al Fayed re-launched the magazine Punch. In 1997, Mr Al Fayed acquired the controlling interest in Fulham Football Club.

Mr Al Fayed is married with four children. His interests are his family, his staff, his customers and the progress of his companies.