Belfast, along with London, Edinburgh and Manchester, is set to benefit from a wave of new US investment into the financial services sector.

Bank of America intends to create up to 1,000 new jobs in the city, marking its first operation in Northern Ireland.

Citigroup has also pledged investment across its UK sites, including a further commitment to growing its presence in Northern Ireland.

The US firms, which also include PayPal and S&P Global, have announced the investments, worth more than £1.25 billion, ahead of President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK next week.

The opening of the new Bank Of America facility is set to establish Belfast as "a key hub", reinforcing the city's position as a "centre of excellence for financial technology and security operations", the UK's Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said.