The new Lord Mayor of London will lead the delegation to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on the eve of his trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Charles Bowman, the new Lord Mayor of London, said that the region would remain an important trading partner for Great Britain in the world after Brexit, and the country's exit from the EU is an opportunity for the UK and the UAE to strengthen already established relations in trade and financial services.
“The Gulf countries, in particular Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have always been extremely important and long-standing economic partners for the UK,” he said, “I hope that my visit ... will further strengthen the financial relations that bind us.”
Charles Bowman chose the Middle East for his first international visit since taking the oath as the 690th Lord Mayor three weeks ago.
The Lord Mayor, who serves as ambassador to the UK financial services sector, will lead a business delegation in Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai from December 10 to 13. During the trip, he will meet with senior members of the government, investment authorities, regulatory authorities and business leaders.
In the UAE, the delegation will meet with the Abu Dhabi Investment Department and the Mubadala Fund, the Department of Finance and the Central Bank.
During his visit, Mr. Bowman intends to establish "strategic partnerships" with the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the field of financial and professional services.
The Lord Mayor added: "As the leading financial center in the world, the UK hosts a huge number of world-class firms with the necessary knowledge and experience that can work with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in their ambitious infrastructure projects."
