London must get itself up to speed - Tyler Brûlé - FT.com

London must get itself up to speed
Tyler Brûlé - FT.com

the city’s asphalt has seen the arrival of even more tyres in the form of growling, purring and humming vehicles from all over the Gulf. Maseratis, Rollers, Bentleys, Aston-Martins and pimped-out Porsche Cayennes have been sent to London to escape the blistering sunshine of Manama and Doha. My favourite vehicle was a pinky-mauve Rolls-Royce spotted in front of the Berkeley Hotel – complete with pink palm licence plates and an equally tasteful interior to match.

 If shopping is indeed one of the biggest draws for visitors from the Gulf then London’s going to have to work fast and hard to ensure it holds on to the substantial spend racked up on cards from Jeddah, Sharjah and Muscat. In the city’s West End, Saudis spend on average £1,678 per visit while the Emiratis aren’t too far behind with their £1,224 per person contribution to the local economy

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FT.com / Columnists / Tyler - London must get itself up to speed

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