Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#1
That British bastion of retail therapy, that icon of extravagance, that glorious outlet for the cash super-rich, has moved yet further into foreign hands. Not only had it slipped into Mohammed Al Fayed's possesion many years ago, when he beat off Brit Bulldog Tiny Rowland for ownership, but now its gone even further afield and is, as of now, owned by Qatar Holdings who have paid £1.6billion for it. So...Yet more Arabs gobbling up a slice of Empire. One shudders!
Even though battler Mohammed Al Fayed lived here, lives here, and to some extent is a piece of the establishment ( after all he owns Fulham FC !), he has never been acceptable to the establishment proper, who failed to bestow on him the further luxury of a British passport, despite him being excessively rich. Normally the first criteria in these circumstances. So...exit Mohammed and enter.. well probably another Mohammed. At least the first Mohammed kept the store..ermmm..British.
Now, where have I heard that word "Holdings" before. Ah yes I remember. Dubai Holdings. The ones waiting in the wings to buy up Dover Harbour. And now that the Tories are edging towards power....sure to happen sometime soon?
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
#2
I hadn't read that, I love Harrods. I've met Mohammed Al Fayed, he was surprisingly funny.
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#3
Actually his real name is Mohammed Fayed, he added the Al (like the German Von) to make himself a bit posher!
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#4
paulb,yes dubai holdings maybe waiting in the wings for the great dhb sale,they have already got there foot in the door by owning p and o ferrys.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#5
JUST LOOKING AT THIS SALE. one outlet cost £1.6 bILLION, The Port Of Dover £4.6million, this is round the wrong way in my way of thinking,and I will be puting that to the D,H,B at their meeting at the ArK ON May 24th at 1800hrs like it or not I will have my say on this.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#6
Vic, you will find that is more like £400 million for the Docks and not £4.6 million !!!
Been nice knowing you :)
#7
Point is Scotchie, it should be £4.6billion.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#8
Big difference is that Harrods Turnover in 2009 was £752million and DHB something like £60milion !!
Been nice knowing you :)
#9
'slipped into Mohammed Al Fayed's possesion many years ago, when he beat off Brit Bulldog Tiny Rowland'
So PaulB, you would prefer the man described by Ted Heath as 'the unacceptable face of British capitalism' to the one involved in cash for questions with Hamilton and Smith and who was involved in Aitken's stay at the Ritz?
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#10
Well not exactly Bob as neither represented any kind of saintliness in their dealings at large. But what Im really lamenting here is the way British business is slipping daily into foreign hands. We all concern ourselves with basic immigration fears and fair enough, but this is another immigration fear in my view but on a mightier scale. What will become of us.. if the suppliers of all our jobs are foreign owned enterprises. Our traditional British firms are vanishing..your chocolate bar, your gas supplier, your train company, your bank, your football club, your Rolls Royce and so on and on and on. Isnt that the very core of what and who we are...and all sold off.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
#11
Good luck to Fayed - he has been treated shabbily by the British Establishment for years
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#12
ross
the establishment seem to know more about the gentleman in question than we know.
nothing much can be said about him, his legal people slap injunctions around like confetti.
all we know is that him and his brother were born into abject poverty in egypt, then a few years into adulthood they are filthy rich.
the refusal to grant citizenship started with norman tebbitt and has continued ever since.
my own opinion is that mr al fayed is a fine hardworking, upstanding, litigious gentleman.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#13
paulb,you seem to be scared of a middle east take over,not all of them are terrarists contery to what the bleeding yanks say,or what this goverment tells you.british companys have lost the will to diversify unlike the arab and asian countrys.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#14
brian
i think the issue is about foreign ownership of our institutions.
nothing to do with terrorism.
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#15
Rather difficult to equate a shop with a port as the former buys and sells goods whilst the latter facilitates the movement of goods from A to B.
Viewed in this context, Harrods had £750 million worth of goods pass through the shop last year whereas the Port of Dover had £80 billion worth of goods pass through the port:
Harrods...........................750,000,000
Port of Dover..............80,000,000,000
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#16
I think that is a valid argument Ed.
The difference in what passed through Harrods and what passed through the Port of Dover, is of course that what went through Harrods, went through their books/accounts, what went through the Port of Dover, didn't go through DHB's books/accounts, that's just the value of what the ferries were carrying.
Roger
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#17
howard,just making a point.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#18
I think we may have gone off on a tangent there lads as it doesnt matter at all the value of the institution or its annual trading figires. The point surely is that either one is another of our solid British icons and here they are slipping into foreign ownership. The core of our society is our own businesses. If the high street beomes entirely owned by foreigners what then. Its a sort of immigration but at corporate level.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#19
How can something fall even further into foreign hands? Is Mohammed Al Fayed somehow more British than the Qatari Royal Family?
True friends stab you in the front.
#20
Without wishing to cause any offence whatsoever but, DoverForum was once an English delight that has now "fallen" into the hands of a man from Galway. I mention this only to highlight that UK organisations going to non-British owners is not necessairly a bad thing and to be stopped.