Crown Prince meets Mayor of London

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister today met Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, at the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in London.  His Royal Highness praised the Mayor’s role in enhancing London’s status as a global centre of finance, business, and trade, noting his success as a global ambassador for the city, including a recent visit to the Gulf.

His Royal Highness also highlighted the firm foundations and long history of UK-Bahrain relations and underscored the UK’s role as a trusted partner, noting how that provided a solid framework for furthering more cooperation in various economic sectors and the exchange of expertise and ideas. Referring to the WIEF, His Royal Highness welcomed the event as an important platform to discuss the challenges facing the Islamic world. His Royal Highness also noted that significance of the event being held for the first time outside of the Muslim World, and that this first step should be made into London – a global hub for trade and commerce.

His Royal Highness stated that economic development thrives through collaboration and interdependence among nations, and noted the important role of events such as the WIEF in facilitating this development. His Royal Highness said that Bahrain is committed to the industry’s development through working in concert with its fellow pioneer, Malaysia, as well as emerging hubs such as London.

His Royal Highness also emphasized that Islamic finance is a leading example of the broader set of opportunities the world must seize to aid regional economic development, as well as a further opportunity to enhance trade between Bahrain and the UK. For his part, the Mayor welcomed the participation of His Royal Highness in the WIEF and noted Bahrain’s central role in the field of Islamic finance and the potential it offers in the further development of this sector.