Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz
Saudi businessman and philanthropist, listed as a patron of The Prince's Foundation
- Entries
- 10
- On the record
- 1
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Sep 5, 2024
The record
Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz's own British record sits in a government honours list and two charity regulators' reports. He was patron, principal donor and founding trustee of the Mahfouz Foundation, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales in November 2012 to advance public education in the history, literature, languages and culture of the Middle East. In 2016 he was among the recipients of honorary British awards, made an honorary CBE for services to charities in the UK.
Between May and September 2020, £535,000 from the donor Dmitry Leus, who believed he was giving to The Prince's Foundation, passed through the Mahfouz Foundation's bank account. Of it, £100,000 went to the Prince's Foundation, which returned it, and £200,000 went to the charity Children and the Arts. The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry in November 2021 and found that most of the account's transactions were connected to the private interests, philanthropic or otherwise, of its patron.
The Commission found misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees, issued them an Official Warning in October 2023, disqualified a former trustee for 12 years and published its report in September 2024; the charity had been removed from the register after it ceased operating. Separately, the Metropolitan Police investigated allegations of offers to help a Saudi national secure honours and citizenship, and the Scottish Charity Regulator records that the inquiry ended in August 2023 with no further action.
Roles and honours on the record
Every entry, newest first
- Filed
Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation, which he founded, The Guardian reported. Michael Fawcett cash-for-honours: £1.5M donor, nobody charged
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 2012-11-27 Official The Mahfouz Foundation, set up by a declaration of trust the day before, was registered with the Charity Commission, with Mr Mahfouz as patron, principal donor and founding trustee. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report
- 2016 Official He was listed among the honorary British awards approved in 2016, as an honorary CBE for services to charities in the UK. UK Government, 2016 honorary awards list
- 2020-09-25 Official After £535,000 from Dmitry Leus, intended for The Prince's Foundation, had been paid into the Mahfouz Foundation's account between May and September 2020, £200,000 of it was sent on to Children and the Arts; £100,000 had gone to the Prince's Foundation, which returned it, and £193,730 to Introcom International Limited. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report
- 2021-11-02 Official The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the Mahfouz Foundation under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report
- 2022-02-16 Reported The Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925, after assessing a September 2021 letter about alleged offers to help a Saudi national secure honours and citizenship. No arrests or interviews under caution had taken place, City A.M. reported. City A.M. report
- 2023-08 Official The Metropolitan Police investigation concluded that no further action would be taken, the Scottish Charity Regulator recorded. Scottish Charity Regulator, inquiry report on The King's Foundation
- 2023-10-05 Official The Commission issued the foundation's trustees an Official Warning; misapplied funds totalled £49,581.67, which the trustees agreed to repay. The charity was removed from the register the next day after ceasing to operate. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report
- 2024-01-29 Official The Commission disqualified Michael Wynne-Parker from being a charity trustee for 12 years. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report
- 2024-09-05 Official The Commission published its report, finding misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees and that the majority of transactions in the charity's bank account were connected to the private interests, philanthropic or otherwise, of its patron. Charity Commission for England and Wales, inquiry report