Mahmoud Khayami
Mahmoud Khayami | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Zahra Khayami |
| Children | 5 |
Mahmoud Khayami, KSS, (born 1930 in Mashhad, Iran) (Template:Lang-fa) is a well-known Iranian born industrialist, perhaps best remembered for his role in Iran National (a company founded with his brother, Ahmad Khayami) automobile manufacturing and the introduction of the iconic Paykan car to Iran in a partnership with the British Roots family. He also founded the Bank of Iranian Industries, aimed at bolstering Iranian manufacturing, and the Kourosh Department Stores, the first large chain of retail stores in the country.
Iran National (Now Iran Khodro) was founded with registered capital of 100,000,000 Rls. on 18 Aug 1962 by Mr. Aliakbar Khayami, Mr. Ahmad Khayami, Mr. Mahmoud Khayami, Mrs. Marzieh Khayami, and Mrs. Zahra Seyedi Rashti in Ekbatan Street in Tehran.
In later life, Mahmoud Khayami has become known equally as a philanthropist and collector of fine Persian art, the Khayami Collection being generally recognised as one of the finest in the world. Mr Khayami is well known for his promotion of inter-religious cohabitation in the UK and internationally with a special emphasis on relations between the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities. Among his activities have been the hosting at Chatham House (RIIA) of inter-religious conferences.
He now splits his time between the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, having been forced to leave Iran at the time of the 1979 revolution. Khayami is resident in the UK for over 20 years and has never returned to Iran. His wide range of philanthropic work (now performed largely through the Khayami Foundation) was recognised in 2004 when he was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester by Pope John Paul II and was also decorated by the late King Hussein of Jordan.
It was announced by the Department of Education and Skills in 2005 that Mr Khayami had become a sponsor of the UK Government's City Academy programme and had sponsored two academies which will open in Sheffield during 2007. Both academies will be run by a leading Anglican Church School Trust. It is known that he is a friend of Tony Blair whom he has met of number of occasions.
On 3 June 2007, the Observer reported that he had donated £1 million to the Labour Party (one of the most generous ever donations to Labour, eclipsed only by a £2m donation from the steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, and a similar sum given by Lord Sainsbury).
Although Khayami has since retired, his family is still involved in the automotive industry, primarily in dealership ownership of one of their previous international partners Mercedes-Benz, most notably in Berkshire, England and Southern California where they operate Caliber Motors in the city of Anaheim, Orange County.
External links
- The Khayami Foundation
- Encyclopaedia Iranica Gala 2003
- Iran Khodro Web Site
- Caliber Motors, Anaheim, California
- Association of Papal Orders in Great Britain
- Royal Institute for International Affairs
References
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