In the Montaza neighborhood of Alexandria, Northern Egypt, lies a vast, uninhabited palace, covering an area of nearly 41,000 square meters amidst towering buildings. It is the last remaining trace of the late Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, who passed away two days ago at the age of 94.

Al-Fayed spent most of his life in Europe until his death, after establishing a massive economic empire worth about two billion dollars, filled with successes and challenges. He started his journey as a laborer in the port of his hometown, Alexandria, then traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he worked in sewing machine sales before becoming an advisor to Mohamed Hassan, the Sultan of Brunei.

The late billionaire moved to the UK in the mid-sixties, achieving significant successes and striking massive deals in various fields. Perhaps the most famous of these was acquiring the majority of shares in the famous Harrods store, which enjoys royal patronage, in the mid-eighties.