Al-Tajir, 74, a former UAE ambassador to the UK and France, spends much of his time at his palatial London home or on his 15,000-acre Perthshire estate, where he bottles and sells Highland Spring Water.
These days, though, his son Maher al-Tajir runs much of the familys UK businesses, including the mineral water business. Mahdi Al-Tajir, who is originally from Iran and who still enjoys close relations with Dubais ruling Al Maktoum family, got his start by organising the customs department at Dubai.
Quite legitimately, he received a percentage of the ports gold trade and eventually a piece of every oil lease that was negotiated. Forbes magazine once quoted a Kuwaiti banker as saying: Hes the Mr Fixit of Dubai. If you want something done, you just naturally go to Mahdi.
The publicity-shy Al-Tajir made headlines in 1990 when an armed gang made off with US$10m of antiques from his Buckinghamshire mansion, and a few months later fire caused US$100m worth of damage. In 1997 it was hit again by an arson attack.
He made headlines last year after being ordered to remove padlocks from the gates of the estate, which he had turned into a fortress. Al-Tajirs other businesses are involved in metal trading, oil and gas interests and, inevitably, he has a huge property portfolio, which includes Londons Park Tower Hotel, many managed by Liechtenstein trusts.
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