Cousin of Omani killed in London pens poignant poem about ‘remarkable’ student

Mohammed Al Araimi was stabbed to death on Friday night

LONDON 26th March 2018. The scene of the attack on an Emirati opposite Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. Stephen Lock for the National   Words: Caroline Byrne
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The cousin of a young Omani stabbed to death in London has written a poem about the student, describing him as a truly "remarkable example of a man”.

Mohammed Al Araimi, who was studying politics and economics at King's College London, was attacked during an attempted robbery on Friday night while walking home from a restaurant in the city’s Knightsbridge district.

He was chased and stabbed in the back before collapsing under a Christmas tree next to Harrods department store.

The 20-year-old was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.

Mr Al Araimi’s cousin Fatma Al Ardhi published a poem on Instagram about her family member titled “The Diamond that Sparkled our Lives”.

Ms Al Ardhi, who owns an art gallery in Muscat, wrote: “You can all only imagine what a terrible time we as a family are going through right now. Our eyes weep, our hearts bleed and our souls are broken with the passing of Mohammed.

“It is a huge loss for me. He never was just my cousin. I loved him as a son, treated him as a brother and always saw him as a dear friend of mine.”

Mr Al Araimi is the son of a prominent Omani businessman Sheikh Abdalla Al Araimi, family friends told The National.

The family comes from the eastern coastal city of Sur, a former seafaring town that expanded Oman’s trade to Africa and India.

In the poem, Ms Al Ardhi said she spent time with her cousin during the summer holidays while they were staying in the English county of Surrey, south of London.

She accompanied the words with a picture of her cousin smiling at the camera.

“I choose this picture of him because it reflected how I want to remember him: smiling warmly, his eyes are happy to see the person infront of him and seems to have a funny story to share!,” she wrote.

“A true remarkable example of a man and an exceptionally fine human being. May Allah rest his beautiful soul in heaven.”

Mr Al Araimi’s body is expected to be flown home to Oman from London on Monday for burial