London's skyline is littered with extravagant office buildings, hotels and homes but what many people don't realise is that most of these are owned or majority owned by Middle Eastern companies. From Western Europe’s tallest building The Shard in London Bridge to IBTimes UK's headquarters at One Canada Square, Qatar also owns a bulk of the Canary Wharf financial district. The Middle East loves luxury, so it should come as no surprise, that the world's most expensive block of flats at No1 Hyde Park is also owned by Qatar.Reuters
London's skyline is littered with extravagant office buildings, hotels and homes but what many people don't realise is that most of these are owned or majority owned by Middle Eastern companies. From Western Europe’s tallest building The Shard in London Bridge to IBTimes UK's headquarters at One Canada Square, Qatar also owns a bulk of the Canary Wharf financial district. The Middle East loves luxury, so it should come as no surprise, that the world's most expensive block of flats at No1 Hyde Park is also owned by Qatar.ReutersWe all know that Middle Eastern investors own "quintessentially English" Harrods but little do people know that the UAE owns 20% of grungy Camden Market. But every little helps, right? Qatar is also a major investor of Sainsbury’s.ReutersIt would be unfair to say that the Middle East 'owns' Britain's financial market, but it does have a 20% stake in the London Stock Exchange. The UAE also became a knight in shining armour for Barclays, which avoided being bailed out by the British government, following a hefty cash injection from the Middle East.ReutersQatar is in talks with the UK government to invest up to £10bn from the Middle Eastern state in order to fund a raft of infrastructure projects As recently as last month, officials from both sides held discussions over what schemes Qatar could invest in. This includes the Thames “super-sewer” under London and energy plants, road and rail projects.ReutersThe UAE not only loves Britain's sporting culture but it also owns large chunks of it. From Arsenal's Emirates Stadium to a possible lucrative deal in naming Liverpool Football club's stadium, the UAE loves the Beautiful Game. But it's not just football- they also own a slice of Britain's Olympic Village.Reuters
Various UK industries already receive a hefty cash injection from the Middle East but Britain's relationship with the United Arab Emirates is set to strengthen further with the arrival of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
But as the President of the UAE lands in Britain, IBTimes UK decided to unveil the bumper Middle East investments that Britain depends on.
