The Netherlands offers one of the world’s most well-connected and business-friendly environments. By Akkie Lansberg.

Qatar is emerging as one of the Middle East’s most dynamic economies, with a clear vision for its future and the means and determination to achieve it. By Steve Martin.

The government’s commitment to reform Chile and improve its economic and physical infrastructure has paid off by putting the country on a par with the world’s leading nations, says Chile’s vice-minister of finance. By María Olivia Recart.

The South Korean and Seoul metropolitan governments are working hard to ensure Seoul’s position as a global financial centre in north-east Asia, writes the director-general of Seoul’s Finance and Investment Bureau. By Paik Yoonbeom.

Madrid owes it success to an efficient financial industry and its position as the decision-making centre of Spanish multinationals, says the general manager of the Madrid Financial Centre. By Isabel Martín Castellá.

The prosperous Israeli economy is aiming to attract global investors through new regulation and tax structures in order to become an international financial centre. By Yarom Ariav.

An investigation into the regulatory priorities for international financial centres. By Mark Davies & David Fiennes.

Established financial centres still lead global rankings but their supremacy is under threat from a growing number of competitors from all over the world. By Silvia Pavoni Investment Editor.

Turbulent times bring with them new opportunities and heightened competition. Ultimately, there will be those International Financial Centres that feel the squeeze, yet there will be others that increase their market share and profit from the credit crunch. By Vince Colvin & John Culliane Deloitte.

The Top 1000 is a ranking of the world’s commercial banks. Wherever possible, consolidated figures have been taken for the banking group. However, in the case of bancassurance groups, where possible the figures reflect the banking business only.