In his encomium to the Shard, London’s newest and tallest skyscraper, Boris Johnson declared that it was “a symbol of how London is powering its way out of the global recession”. Had he substituted “Qatar” for “London”, the city’s mayor might have had a point. The 72-storey tower, which was inaugurated on 5 July, is 95 per cent owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund and is the crowning asset in the Gulf state’s acquisition spree.
When the Shard’s public viewing gallery opens in February 2013, it will offer an apt vantage point from which to observe the emirate’s treasures. To the west lie Harrods, acquired by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in 2010 for £1.5bn, and One Hyde Park, the world’s most expensive apartment block, which is owned by Project Grande (Guernsey), a joint venture between the Qatari prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, and the property developers the Candy brothers. To the east lie the Olympic village, sold to the QIA subsidiary Qatari Diar for £557m last August, and Barclays Bank, 6.67 per cent-owned by the QIA, which is now its largest shareholder.
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