Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz
{{Short description|Saudi businessman}}
{{Infobox person
| image = HE Mahfouz bin Mahfouz.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Mahfouz in October 2013
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|12|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| death_date =
| children =
| years_active =
| alma_mater = King Abdulaziz University
| occupation = Businessman
| spouse =
}}
Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz ({{langx|ar|محفوظ مرعي مبارك بن محفوظ}}) (born 14 December 1969){{cite web |title=Mahfouz Marai BINMAHFOUZ |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/9lthnMTkMfVUbLfMx51pUZPKwdQ/appointments |website=Companies House |access-date=5 September 2021}} is a Saudi Arabian businessman living in the United Kingdom. Mahfouz is the executive officer of Saudi-based Marei bin Mahfouz Group, founded by his father Sheikh Marei Mubarak Mahfouz bin Mahfouz who is one of the richest men in Saudi Arabia.{{cite web |title=The Saudi tycoon at the centre of an honours controversy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/05/the-saudi-tycoon-at-the-centre-of-an-honours-controversy |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 September 2021}} He is the current Lord of Abernethy in the Baronage of Scotland.{{cite web |title=Queen Mother's beloved hideaway extends its exclusive £50k 'royal weekends' after record low visitor numbers hits its finances |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/03/queen-mothers-beloved-hideaway-extends-its-exclusive-50k-royal-w/ |website=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=5 September 2021}}{{Cite web |date=26 June 2024 |title=Baronage title (Lord and Baron of ) Abernethy |url=https://www.registryofscotsnobility.com/baronage/ |access-date=26 June 2024 |website=Registry of Scots Nobility}}{{Cite web |title=Baronies of Scotland - 2008 |url=https://debretts.com/directories/other-titles-2/the-feudal-baronies-of-scotland/ |access-date=26 June 2024 |website=Debretts}}{{Cite web |date=26 June 2024 |title=Registered on the Scottish Barony Register as the Lord of Abernethy |url=https://www.scottishbaronyregister.org |access-date=26 June 2024 |website=Scottish Barony Register}}
Biography
Mahfouz holds a law degree from King Abdulaziz University, and a Master of Laws from the American University of London.{{cite web |title=Mahfouz Marei Binmahfouz, Baron of Abernethy |url=https://www.armorial-register.com/arms-sco/binmahfouz-mm-arms.html |website=The Armorial Register |access-date=5 September 2021}}{{cite web |title=Pembroke College Record 2012-2013 |url=https://issuu.com/pembrokecollegeoxford/docs/pcr_2012-13 |website=Issuu |access-date=5 September 2021}}
He was awarded a Grand Cross of Merit of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem (GCMLJ) in June 2013. He was made a Foundation Fellow at Pembroke College, Oxford in 2012 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).{{cite web |title=Public lecture: When will your robot do what my bird does? |url=https://www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/news/public-lecture-when-will-your-robot-do-what-my-bird-does |website=Pembroke College, Oxford |access-date=5 September 2021}}[https://issuu.com/pembrokecollegeoxford/docs/pcr_2012-13 Pembroke College Record (Oxford), 2012-2013] - website Issuu Mahfouz was made inaugural Bredon Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge in July 2013.{{cite web |title=The Bredon Fellowship recognises great benevolence to the College |url=https://www.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/people/fellows/bredon-fellows |website=Wolfson College, Cambridge |access-date=5 September 2021}} The Mahfouz Building at Pembroke College, Oxford was named after him, as was the HE Dr Mahfouz bin Mahfouz Room in the Chancellor's Centre at Wolfson College, Cambridge.{{cite web |title=Ring True Issue 20 Spring 2017 |url=https://www2.wolfson.cam.ac.uk/files/pub/ring-true-20-web-2017.pdf |website=Wolfson College, Cambridge |access-date=5 September 2021}} He was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London in December 2013.{{cite web |title=List of applicants for the Freedom of the City |url=https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=21939 |website=City of London |access-date=5 September 2021}} He was a Vice-President of the British Forces Foundation.{{cite web |title=British Forces Foundation Overview |url=https://bff.org.uk/trustees/ |website=British Forces Foundation |access-date=5 September 2021}}
In November 2015, then UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond was criticised for accepting a watch worth £1,950 from Mahfouz.{{cite web |title=Philip Hammond accepts £2,000 watch from Saudi sheikh, despite ban on donating expensive gifts |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/philip-hammond-accepts-watch-worth-nearly-ps2-000-from-saudi-sheikh-despite-ban-on-donating-expensive-gifts-a6753661.html |website=The Independent |access-date=19 February 2022}} The watch was given as a gift after the unveiling of a statue of the Queen to mark the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta.{{cite web|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1639048.ece|title=Saudi gift row engulfs minister|first=Jon|last=Ungoed-Thomas|website=The Sunday Times |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207112928/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1639048.ece|archive-date=7 February 2017 }} Ministers are not allowed to accept gifts worth more than £140 but Hammond claimed he was advised that the event was a constituency one, not a ministerial one, and therefore the rules for ministers did not apply to him on that day.
Cash-for-honours allegations
The Mahfouz Fountain and Garden at Dumfries House was named after him, and was opened by Prince Charles on 21 October 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/05/the-saudi-tycoon-at-the-centre-of-an-honours-controversy|title=The Saudi tycoon at the centre of an honours controversy|date=5 September 2021|author=Maya Wolfe-Robinson|work=The Guardian|accessdate=6 September 2021}} In 2015 it was revealed that a wooded area near the Castle of Mey had been renamed Mahfouz Wood after Mahfouz who reportedly donated £370,000 to its restoration.{{cite web |title=Castle fit for Queen Mother valued only at £1m |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18985713.castle-fit-queen-mother-valued-1m/ |website=The Herald (Glasgow) |access-date=5 September 2021}} He is an Ambassador and Community Patron for The Prince's Foundation.{{cite web |title=Meet our supporters |url=https://princes-foundation.org/support-us/meet-our-supporters |website=The Prince's Foundation |access-date=5 September 2021}} Mahfouz met Prince Harry in 2013 and 2014 and donated £50,000 to his charity Sentebale and £10,000 to Walking With The Wounded, of which Harry is patron.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/harry-i-cut-ties-with-dads-saudi-cbe-friend-because-of-his-motives-jt2jrks9t|title=Harry: I cut ties with dad's Saudi CBE friend because of 'his motives'|work=The Times|first=Gabriel|last=Pogrund|date=5 December 2021|access-date=5 December 2021}} Harry stated in 2021 that he severed ties with Mahfouz in 2015 after expressing "growing concerns" about his motives, though aides from his father's household denied having any discussions with him regarding Mahfouz.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2021/12/06/prince-harry-did-not-raise-concerns-billionaire-saudi-donor/|title=Prince Harry 'did not raise concerns' about billionaire Saudi donor with Clarence House|work=The Telegraph|first=Victoria|last=Ward|date=6 December 2021|accessdate=9 December 2021}}
He was awarded an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 "for services to charities in the UK".{{cite web |title=Honorary awards |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/581724/2016_Honorary_awards_V4.pdf |website=Gov.uk |access-date=5 September 2021}}{{cite web |title=Michael Fawcett: Charles' former aide steps down over honour claims |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58451647 |website=BBC News |access-date=5 September 2021}} It is claimed that Michael Fawcett fixed the CBE for Mahfouz who donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities.{{cite web |title=Prince Charles's aide steps down following claims he offered to help secure an honour for rich Saudi donor |url=https://news.sky.com/story/prince-charless-aide-steps-down-following-claims-he-offered-to-help-secure-an-honour-for-rich-saudi-donor-12399523 |website=Sky News |access-date=5 September 2021}} Prince Charles gave Mahfouz his CBE at a private ceremony in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in November 2016,{{cite web |title=A thank-you letter and gift from Prince Charles for the Saudi billionaire in 'cash for honours' CBE scandal |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/a-thank-you-letter-and-gift-from-prince-charles-for-the-saudi-billionaire-in-cash-for-honours-cbe-scandal-zl53zkxxq |website=The Times |access-date=18 February 2022}} though the event was not published in the Court Circular.{{cite web |title=Prince Charles aides fixed CBE for Saudi tycoon who gave £1.5m |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/prince-charles-aides-fixed-cbe-for-saudi-tycoon-who-gave-1-5m-0b5cb7qf2 |website=The Times |access-date=5 September 2021}}
In 2017, Fawcett expressed in correspondence a willingness to see Mahfouz's honour upgraded to a KBE and to support and contribute to his application for citizenship.{{cite web |title=Prince Charles aide steps down amid probe into claims he helped Saudi tycoon donor secure CBE |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prince-charles-aide-resigns-scandal-b1914458.html |website=The Independent |access-date=5 September 2021}} In reaction to the story, former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker wrote to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick urging a police inquiry.{{cite web |title=Former minister urges police inquiry into CBE for Saudi businessman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/06/norman-baker-urges-police-investigation-mahfouz-prince-charles |website=The Guardian |access-date=6 September 2021}} In February 2022 the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the cash-for-honours allegations linked to Charles' charity The Prince's Foundation,{{Cite tweet |user=metpoliceuk |number=1493912563544997888 |date = 16 February 2022 |title=We have launched an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. Decision follows an assessment of a Sep 2021 letter, related to media reporting alleging offers of help made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.}}{{cite web |title=Breaking: Met Police investigate cash-for-honours allegations against Prince Charles' charity |url=https://www.cityam.com/breaking-met-police-investigate-cash-for-honours-allegations-against-prince-charles-charity/ |website=City A.M. |access-date=16 February 2022}} passing their evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for deliberation in October.{{Cite news |last1=Gadher |first1=Dipesh |last2=Gabriel Pogrund |last3=Megan Agnew |date=19 November 2022 |title=Cash-for-honours police pass file on King's aide Michael Fawcett to prosecutors |work=The Sunday Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/cash-for-honours-police-pass-file-on-kings-aide-michael-fawcett-to-prosecutors-hmmb3wmf0 |url-status=live |access-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328182402/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cash-for-honours-police-pass-file-on-kings-aide-michael-fawcett-to-prosecutors-hmmb3wmf0 |archive-date=28 March 2023}} In August 2023, the Metropolitan Police announced that they had concluded their investigations and no further actions would be taken.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/08/21/michael-fawcett-police-alleged-cbe-honour-saudi-donor/|title=Cash-for-honours investigation into King Charles's charity dropped|work=The Telegraph|first=Victoria|last=Ward|date=21 August 2023|accessdate=21 August 2023|archive-date=21 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821114245/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/08/21/michael-fawcett-police-alleged-cbe-honour-saudi-donor/|url-status=live}}
Gallery
Mahfouz Fountain and Garden at Dumfries House.jpg|The Mahfouz Fountain and Garden at Dumfries House
The Mahfouz Fountain plaque.jpg|Plaque at Dumfries House
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahfouz, Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin}}
Category:King Abdulaziz University alumni
Category:Fellows of Wolfson College, Cambridge
Category:Fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford
Category:Honorary commanders of the Order of the British Empire