An Omani student stabbed to death outside Harrods is the son of an Anglophile sheikh who founded one of the Middle East’s biggest property empires, the Standard can reveal.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Araimi, 20, was attacked as he walked home from a restaurant in Knightsbridge with a friend shortly after midnight on Friday.
He was the youngest son of Sheikh Abdullah Al Araimi, founder of the Al Raid Group, which in 2018 opened the £130 million Al Araimi Boulevard shopping mall in Muscat. It was modelled on the Westfield London centre in Shepherd’s Bush.
The family, said to be close to Oman’s ruling dynasty, reportedly spend much of the year in London and own a number of apartments in a Knightsbridge block opposite Hyde Park.
The victim’s brother was understood to be in the capital last night. The Sheikh spoke of his love of London in an interview earlier this year, describing his family as “regular visitors”.
Today, family and friends paid tribute to the “very kind and humble” King’s College student who was thought to have been targeted for his Rolex watch.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Partridge said: “The victim and his friend were entirely blameless, simply enjoying a meal out together.
It does appear that the motive for this cowardly attack was robbery.”
Mr. Al Araimi was among three unconnected killings over 12 hours in London last week.
