Ever since Mohamed Al Fayed became the owner of Harrods in 1985, there’s been a steadily growing Arabic feel to this corner of Knightsbridge. Apart from the shops, this is where you’ll find the highest concentration of mysterious figures in burkhas, and glamorous wives and daughters gliding up the Harrods escalators in head-to-toe black silk, with (real) Chanel handbags. It’s all rather exotic and intriguing.
It’s therefore not surprising that an Arabic perfume shop opened in 2008, directly across from Harrods’ main entrance. Al Qurashi is part of a Middle Eastern chain, and only the second store to be opened outside the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (the other one is in Paris). The owner, Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, has created custom scents for members of various royal families…