Nasser Khalili

Sir Nasser David Khalili KCSS (, born 18 December 1945) is a British scholar, collector, and philanthropist based in London. Born in Iran and educated at Queens College, City University of New York and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, he is a naturalised British citizen.

He assembled eight art collections—the Khalili Collections—each considered among the most important in its field. These collections total 35,000 artworks and include the largest private collection of Islamic art and a collection of Japanese art rivalling that of the Japanese imperial family. He has spent tens of millions of pounds on conserving, researching, and documenting the collections, publishing more than seventy volumes of catalogues and research so far. Exhibitions drawn from the collections have appeared in institutions around the world.

Khalili first started collecting artwork in New York City during the 1970s, later investing in property in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. Since then his wealth has grown substantially, which he stated in an interview was due to "dealing in art, commodities and real estate". Khalili is known for the purchase and renovation of a number of large properties in London and Glasgow.

Through his philanthropic organisation, the Khalili Foundation, he supports a range of activities to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between Abrahamic religions. His donations funded the creation of a research centre in Islamic art at the University of Oxford as well as the first university chair in the subject, at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He also supports the creation and distribution of educational materials and has written and distributed a history of Islamic art and architecture.

Khalili is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and has taken part in United Nations and UNESCO events on the theme of peace between cultures. His work for intercultural dialogue and peace has been recognised with honorary degrees from five universities and awards from the French National Assembly and the High Sheriff of Greater London. He is the recipient of the Legion of Honour, presented by French President François Hollande. He is also a trustee of the City of Jerusalem and has received knighthoods from two Popes. He received a knighthood in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to interfaith relations and charity".

When asked about his collections, Khalili stated that he "found things that belonged to a great heritage that was just sitting there unnoticed. [...] They were displaced from history and deserved to be preserved and recognised". Provided by Wikipedia