The call came as the Lord Mayor of London, Michael Bear, held a series of meetings with different department heads in Dubai.

Lord Michael Bear, accompanied by a high-level delegation, met with Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) governor Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer and discussed the importance of having a presence in the region, the opportunities for the insurance sector.

The wider benefits of operating from the DIFC were also explored during the talks.

"We were pleased to have received the Lord Mayor who represents one of the most prestigious financial centers in the world," said Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer.

“There are significant opportunities for our two jurisdictions to work together and there is a lot that we can learn from each other.

“We had an extremely productive discussion and I look forward to further strengthening ties with British insurance companies,” he added.

"From the city's perspective, we believe that sharing the skills and experiences necessary to grow both financial centers is the heart of our relationship with the UAE,” said Lord Bear.

“In our meeting with the DIFC Governor, we considered ways to boost co-operation between DIFC and the City of London, including insurance and re-insurance,” he said.

"The provision of world-class education, training and qualifications has been a major factor in the UK's reputation for developing and attracting the talent needed by firms operating in the global financial services industry.

"CASS Business School and the London Business School already operate from DIFC and I look forward to building a closer collaboration between the UK and UAE in this area," he added.

They also met with the DIFC Authority’s senior management team led by CEO Abdulla Al Awar as well as representatives of DIFC-based international and regional insurance and re-insurance firms.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) CEO and managing director Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer also met Lord Bear and his team.

Nejib Zafraani, secretary-general of Dubai's Supreme Council of Energy, and other top officials took part in the talks.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer briefed the UK delegation on the international performance indicators and high-level benchmarks achieved by DEWA.

He also called on British companies to invest in independent projects of desalinated water and electricity production.

The British delegation showed great interest in such ventures.

Saeed Al Tayer emphasized the importance of mutual and common collaboration between DEWA and Municipality of London in energy-related fields, working on developing it most, utilizing the best eservices from both sides.