Dubai: Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is building on the existing strong relations between the Gulf and London as he makes his first visit to the region seeking to improve business links and build new investment opportunities.
“There are strong links between the Gulf and London. Both share multinational and multi-cultural societies, and London is a second home to many in the Gulf,” Johnson told Gulf News. “London is an open city, with a flexible visa regime, and aviation capacity and lots of opportunities”.
“In addition, it is a safe city, and crime rates are low. It is somewhere that people are made welcome and they can buy property. London real estate market is showing no signs of falling and demand is strong, so it is still a good place to buy.”
Johnson will first visit the UAE, calling at both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, before returning to London for Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday. On Thursday he will fly back to the Gulf and to be in Qatar for several days.
Olympian confidence
He is touring the Gulf at a time that London is going through a boom in confidence after the successful 2012 Olympics. Indeed, Johnson hopes that he may be able to help the Qataris prepare for their holding of the Football World Cup in 2022:
“In Doha I want to mention that we may be able to help with the World Cup in 2022,” Johnson said. He speaks with some experience because early in 2012 there was a widespread feeling in London that the preparations for the 2012 Olympics were too slow, and the games might fail, to massive London and British embarrassment.
Johnson played an important part in spotting problems and putting them right. For example, he was not afraid to publicly disagree with his fellow Conservative, the hapless Home Secretary Teresa May, who claimed that she did not know of a lack of security personnel until just before the Olympics, whereas Johnson was brutally clear that she had been told months before that security company G4S could not deliver.
Investment
Johnson’s tour of the UAE and Qatar has a business focus, and his objective is to help build stronger ties by strengthen existing activities, and supporting possible future investment in London.
“Banking, infrastructure, media, technology, and property are a few of the sectors that I will be focusing on with the six or seven people in the delegation accompanying me,” he told Gulf News.
Johnson’s office has identified 18 areas of opportunity in London, including places such as Croydon, Battersea, and the former Olympic Park. “Billions of pounds are being invested in these areas,” he said, “and we think that there may be more that the gulf might want to look at”.
Thatcher statue
Commenting on last week’s passing of Baroness Thatcher, the transformative former Conservative leader and British prime minister for 11 years, Johnson was an unabashed fan.
“She was a towering force in British politics. In Britain she had a colossal impact, where she changed the country and changed international attitudes to Britain.”
Johnson was also very aware of her important role in the Gulf. “Baroness Thatcher was very important in the liberation of Kuwait. She told US President George Bush in Aspen in August 1990 that “This is no time to wobbly, George,” as they built the collation that freed Kuwait from Iraqi forces.
Decrying the controversy in London by anti-Thatcher activists, John said that his office is thinking of who to have a suitable memorial to such an important figure. “We are thinking of where to put up a suitable statue in London and there is a big effort to make this happen,” Johnson told Gulf News
Islamic economy
“We are mustard keen on Islamic banking,” Johnson said enthusiastically. “London has seen a big increase in Islamic banking and its Islamic economy. Islamic banking can co-exist happily with conventional banking,
“This year London will be the first non-Islamic city to host the Islamic Economic Forum,” he was proud to tell Gulf News, adding that “London is the ninth biggest Islamic banking centre in the world, with over $19 billion in assets”.
