After Mohamed Al Fayed died, more than 180 women came forward, and Harrods went to court over his estate

Mohamed Al Fayed owned Harrods from 1985 to 2010. He was never convicted of a sexual offence in his lifetime^†. A year after his death, a BBC documentary in September 2024 aired allegations from former staff of rape and sexual assault^†. The Metropolitan Police said 146 survivors had reported crimes by him. Harrods, now owned by Qatar's sovereign fund^†, opened a redress scheme in March 2025. By March 2026 more than 180 survivors were in the scheme and more than 50 women had been paid. The scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. Law firm Leigh Day represents 41 survivors: one is suing Harrods and four are claiming directly against the Al Fayed estate. Sky News reported that Harrods could recover what it pays from the estate, and that Harrods asked the High Court to replace the estate's executors with professional executors, citing slow administration. Survivor groups objected to the scheme's terms and asked Harrods not to share their data with the estate. All claims are allegations; the estate has not been found liable in court. No ruling on the executor application has been reported.