Guavapay Partakes in the Lord Mayor's Expedition to the Gulf Region, Pushing for the City of London
The UK-based payments enabler, Guavapay, recently embarked on a strategic trade visit to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), led by The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Alastair King. This visit aimed to strengthen business ties between the UK and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The trip was part of broader efforts to promote the City of London as a top destination for investment. For Guavapay, this visit provided a platform for exploring co-investment opportunities and engaging in high-level discussions focused on driving innovation, advancing economic diversification, and promoting sustainable finance across the markets.
The UAE alone accounts for £24.3 billion in bilateral trade with the UK, making it a significant partner for investment opportunities. This strong business tie was highlighted during the visit, with Guavapay being singled out by the Lord Mayor as a standout example of the UK's Fintech excellence.
While specific regulatory developments directly related to Guavapay's expansion into the Gulf Region are not detailed in the recent reports, the visit aimed to reinforce and build upon existing relationships, which could pave the way for smoother regulatory processes in the future. The trip was also part of a broader initiative, the Mansion House Accord, launched by the Lord Mayor during the trade visit, which convened the UK's biggest pension providers to invest tens of billions of pounds into the UK's economy.
The visit yielded tangible outcomes, including the exploration of collaborative investment initiatives in priority sectors including financial services. The Lord Mayor emphasised that UK investment strategies align with the Gulf's "We the UAE 2031" Vision, supporting shared objectives across sustainability, innovation, and economic diversification.
Emirati participation was secured in upcoming City of London Corporation events such as the Net Zero Delivery Summit and Global Risk Summit. This presents huge opportunities for Emirati investors to co-invest in long-term, stable, high-potential UK sectors with British providers taking the lead.
Elkhan Nasibov, Group Managing Director of Guavapay, was recently granted freedom of the City of London, further solidifying Guavapay's commitment to expanding into the Gulf Region. The trade visit, which concluded on May 30th, 2025, included representatives from KPMG, The Aberdeen group, Howden, British embassies in Doha, UAE, and Abu Dhabi, Guavapay, and The City of London Corporation. The visit reiterated the shared commitment between the UK and Gulf Region to innovation, investment, and sustainable growth.
- Guavapay, during the strategic trade visit, engaged in high-level discussions related to finance and technology, aiming to explore co-investment opportunities that would also encompass innovation and sustainable financing.
- The Mansion House Accord, launched by the Lord Mayor during the visit, brings the UK's largest pension providers together to invest tens of billions of pounds into the UK's economy, which intersects with the general news and politics of financial markets and economic development.
