Less than two-months after Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, was invited to lead a trade delegation to Abu-Dhabi and Kuwait, financial leaders from the Gulf have asked Birmingham officials to return to the UAE to hold further talks.

For the second phase of an ongoing Gulf programme, Cllr Whitby is sending Director of Regeneration, Clive Dutton, who will now fly out to Abu-Dhabi next week to meet with senior business and government officials to discuss Birmingham's Big City Plan and investment opportunities it will create for Middle East based investors.

While in the region Mr Dutton will also be addressing the 'Global City Conference 2009', an international conference, based on Birmingham’s experience in successfully regenerating urban areas.

Organised in association with Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development and Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, and attracting speakers from across the globe, the conference provides an ever increasingly important venue for influential figures from international public and private sectors organisations to network, share best practice and plan for the future.

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Leader, Mike Whitby said: "For us to be invited back once again so soon after January's hugely successful visit to the Middle East to unveil of the Big City Plan is amazingly encouraging news in our quest to forge meaningful relationships with key investors within the region.

"Since the development of the Big City Plan interest in investing in Birmingham from overseas has been remarkable, especially considering the prevailing economic climate.

"The challenge now is for us, through trips such as this, to build upon this level interest and generate actual investment back home. Chinese investment in Longbridge and more recently Kuwaiti plans for the new Beorma Quarter prove our model can work, if we take the time to invest time and energy up front."

Mr Dutton's four-day visit will begin with a series of talks in Dubai including at the Middle East Head office of international construction giant Carillion, who were recently contracted to deliver the £193 Library of Birmingham.

From Dubai he will travel on to the Global City Conference at the Emirates Palace in Abu-Dhabi, where during three days in the principality he will also meet with the British Ambassador, Abu-Dhabi Municipal Government, the British Business Group in the United Arab Emirates and a series of directors of major British firms operating in the region.

(JM)