London investments prove attractive to Gulf states

The London property market is booming, attracting investors from across the globe who see the UK's capital as a safe investment for their wealth.

Beyond the luxury houses and apartments however, are London's grand hotels, department stores and skyscrapers – and that is where investors from a particular region, the Gulf, are investing heavily in.

Thanks to their oil wealth, Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, have money to spare, and have set up sovereign wealth funds tasked with investing around the world and reaping the benefits for their countries' citizens.

The sovereign wealth fund of the UAE's biggest emirate, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), is the second largest in the world, after Norway, with assets of $773 billion. Saudi Arabia's is third, and Kuwait's fifth.

A lot of this money has found its way to London.

The ADIA owns the prestigious Lanesborough hotel, and the emirate's state exhibition wing owns the ExCeL centre, which housed several events during the 2012 London Olympics.

Qatar meanwhile owns landmarks such as Canary Wharf, Harrods, Chelsea Barracks and the Shard, and Kuwait owns City Hall, the seat of the mayor of London, and the surrounding area.

Infographic by Claudia Mateus.