DUBAI: A billionaire Qatari investor who masterminded much of the Gulf state’s investment in Britain said he hoped the country would vote to stay in the European Union in its June 23 referendum.

As chairman of Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the gas-rich state’s sovereign wealth fund, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani has overseen many high profile investments in Britain such as the purchase of the Harrods department store and the construction of the landmark Shard skyscraper in London.

“In the Middle East we all want to see a strong Europe, and believe that economic integration is key to making it stronger. In fact, we believe the UK should not only be part of the EU but should lead it,” he said in a statement, describing the City of London as the “financial capital of the world.”

Sheikh Hamad said the EU had established a very favorable investment environment, attracting hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign money “eager to tap this huge market.”