Qatari sheikh who 'bought London' considers selling multi-million dollar mansions

Sheikh Hamad is considering selling a penthouse at One Hyde Park for around £220m. Credit: marc zakian/Alamy Stock Photo

The Qatari sheikh, whose son is bidding for Manchester United, is considering selling his two luxury homes in London for a combined asking price of £370m.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani is considering selling the One Hyde Park penthouse for around £220m and the nearby Belgrave Square property for around £150m.

The billionaire dubbed «the man who bought London,» is the former head of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and ex-prime minister of the emirate. During his tenure at QIA, the sovereign wealth fund acquired stakes in companies including Glencore, FTSE 100 mining company, Barclays Bank and Harrods.

Sheikh Hamad, a friend of King Charles, also bought Forbes House in 2018 for £150m. The six-story, 25-bedroom Grade II listed mansion is within walking distance of Buckingham Palace.

Meanwhile, the billionaire's son, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, is actively involved in the war for one of the largest Premier League clubs.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have made separate bids for more than £5 billion to buy Manchester United after the Glazer family put the football club up for sale.

Sheikh Hamad's sale of high-end homes in London may be indicative of declining confidence in the British luxury housing market.

According to LonRes, sales in London's luxury real estate market in July fell by 26% compared to last year. Deals worth more than £5 million rose by 15 percent between January and July.

The penthouse overlooking Hyde Park was designed by Sheikh Hamad in a joint venture with CPC Group, a company owned by Christian Candy.

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Real estate agent Savills is believed to be working with Sheikh Hamad on the sale, Bloomberg reported. Savills declined to comment.

Earlier this year, London's most valuable house, The Holme, was put up for sale for £300m.

The mansion, located in Regent's Park, was formerly owned by to the Saudi royal family, but is currently in liquidation following the expiration of the loan.

If the sale of The Holme is achieved at the expected price, it will set a new record for the largest real estate transaction in London. .

The previous record was Chinese billionaire Cheng Chung-kiu's £210m purchase of Knightsbridge property in 2020.