Doha, May 26 (QNA) - HE Lord Mayor of the City of London Alastair King has affirmed the importance of Qatari investments in the UK, noting that Qatar is a major contributor to the London Stock Exchange, strengthening the position of the financial district as the world's leading capital market.

"The UK is amongst the favorite European destinations for Qataris and the most attractive, in terms of varied investments. Qatar is a prominent investor in London with investment amounting to around £40bn and covering a range of sectors, from infrastructure and real estate to financial services," His Excellency told Qatar News Agency.

He added that the "Qatari investment in the UK has a mutual benefit for both our countries - it continues to contribute to job creation, growth and prosperity in the UK, generates significant long-term returns for Qatar, and drives innovation".

His Excellency highlighted the recently launched Mansion House Accord1 - an industry-led initiative that brings together over 17 of the UK's biggest pension providers to invest tens of billions of pounds into the UK's economy.

"The Mansion House Accord will potentially allow more United Kingdom-based firms to act as lead investors in UK infrastructure. This may encourage Qatari funds to co-invest into the UK," HE King added.

He elaborated that co-investment opportunities aligned with Qatar's appetite for high-quality, de-risked opportunities, can unlock value for both sides.

Furthermore, His Excellency highlighted the UK-Qatar Memorandum of Understanding in financial services signed in December 2024, adding that Qatar is also investing £1 billion in climate technology partnerships, boosting the UK's position as a clean energy superpower.

"This includes investment in technology programs by British engineering giant Rolls-Royce that improve energy efficiency, support new sustainable fuels and lower carbon emissions," he said.

Meanwhile, His Excellency spoke about the Qatar-UK groundbreaking partnership, committing £1 billion to green investment and climate innovation, highlighting the huge potential for both sides to leverage their respective strengths in this area. 

On the current financial cooperation between the UK and Qatar, His Excellency said the two sides already enjoy a significant history of financial cooperation and that London's expertise as a global financial hub makes it a natural partner for Qatar’s investment aims as part of its 2030 National Vision.

He added that Qatar has long been a trusted investment partner to British businesses. "There are significant opportunities, especially with emerging areas of financial services".

Highlighting the partnership programs and exchanges in financial innovation, HE King spoke about the second Qatar-UK Strategic Dialogue, held last month here in Doha, which emphasized strengthening ties in fintech, capital markets, and sustainable finance, aimed at fostering innovation.

Concluding his remarks, His Excellency embraced the ongoing UK-GCC free-trade negotiations, highlighting that estimates suggest it could boost UK-GCC trade by 16% adding an extra £8.6 billion a year to trade between the UK and GCC countries in the long run.

He voiced hopes the negotiations follow the recommendations of last year's UK-GCC Joint Trade and Investment Review, which called for swift progress on market access in professional, business and financial services. (QNA)