LONDON: A delegation from the City of London — the UK capital’s oldest financial district, and a center for trade and commerce since Roman times — will use a visit to Saudi Arabia this week as an opportunity to learn about the very latest in modern infrastructure and city-building.
Tom Sleigh, chair of the City’s Planning and Transportation Committee, told Arab News in an interview on Thursday that the tour will also provide substantial opportunities to develop investments in real estate, cultural projects, and entertainment.
“I think it is very clear for everyone that Saudi Arabia has just got astonishing ambition when it comes to the built environment, when it comes to the development of cities, when it comes to investment in culture and sport and entertainment,” he said.
“That level of ambition, of course, helps when you have substantial funding behind it, but that ambition is really impressive. And I think other cities, and I would include London, need to remember that ambition really matters.”
The City’s two-person team, which departs for the Kingdom on Saturday, is part of a wider delegation represented by Opportunity London, an inward investment scheme for the capital.
