Lord Mayor of The City of London visits Qatar
The Lord Mayor of London, an ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services industry, is visiting Qatar as the head of a business delegation this week with the aim of strengthening trade links with the City of London.
Lord Mayor Charles Bowman
Charles Bowman, the Lord Mayor, will meet government and business leaders, regulators, and trade bodies in Doha in a visit focussed around deepening financial bonds between London and Qatar.
The Lord Mayor is keen to follow up during his visit on his meeting in London earlier this year with HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The Lord Mayor is expected to meet with the Minister of Finance, HE Ali Sherif Al Emandi, and the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani. The Lord Mayor’s visit will also include a tour of the Qatar Financial Centre.
Lord Mayor Bowman, the 690th incumbent of a role that dates back centuries, is the leader of London’s ‘Square Mile,’ or financial district, and has visited 27 countries over the course of his year in office. Charles Bowman is an accountant by profession and is a Senior Partner at PwC in London.
Accompanying the Lord Mayor on his visit to Qatar is a senior delegation of City of London figures, including Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive of Standard Life Aberdeen, and Paul Mason of QNB.
Commenting on his visit to Qatar, Charles Bowman, the Lord Mayor of London said:
When I was elected Lord Mayor I made clear that during my year in office representing the UK’s financial and professional services sector I wanted to visit the high-growth, dynamic countries of the GCC.
As a pro-business, open, and successful economy in the Gulf, Qatar represents a natural regional partner for British businesses looking to expand internationally.
I’m also looking forward to discussing with senior government and business representatives in Doha about how the UK and Qatar can partner to spur on mutual growth. Of particular interest are the fields of infrastructure and Islamic Finance, fintech, and asset management.
The UK and Qatar already have a strong trading relationship, but I’m sure our business relationships can still deepen and grow in the years to come.
Commenting on The Lord Mayor’s visit to Qatar, the British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, HE Mr Ajay Sharma said:
I am delighted that the Lord Mayor is visiting Qatar to discuss how we can deepen even further the UK/Qatar relationship in a number of important areas including financial and professional services. The Lord Mayor is keen to follow up on HH The Amir’s visit to the UK in July, where he met the Lord Mayor and senior business representatives. This visit will take forward the UK’s commitment to supporting Qatar deliver its 2030 National Vision and host a very successful 2022 World Cup.
The Lord Mayor’s visit will have a strong focus on innovation, and how financial and professional services can support the growth of start-ups in fields such as fintech.
The Lord Mayor is expected to speak at the Qatar British Business Forum to celebrate the success British and Qatari businesses have had in each other’s countries.
Background
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.