A business delegation led by the Lord Mayor and including senior representatives of investment banks, asset managers, insurers and law firms, is visiting the Gulf and Saudi Arabia. During the trip the party are expected to meet with members of the various ruling families as well as senior government and business figures.
Lord Mayor Ian Luder said: “Our relationship with the Gulf and Saudi Arabia is hugely important and on this visit I hope to continue building on that relationship. I look forward to sharing our experience in the City of Islamic finance and also to encouraging business leaders and financial institutions to look to London as a partner to do business and mobilise capital and expertise.
“The visit comes at a critical time: in recent months global financial markets have been rocked by the credit crisis which has spread around the world. Now, as we begin to re-build market confidence and financial stability, the value of trusted and close relationships, such as that between the United Kingdom and the member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council, are more important than ever. As global trading nations – the U.K. and our partners in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia recognise the importance of keeping markets open.”
The Lord Mayor’s delegation will visit Dubai (14-16 February), Abu Dhabi (16 – 18 February), Qatar (18 – 20 February) and Saudi Arabia (20 – 23 February).
