The Gulf region featured prominently in a list released at the weekend of foreign drivers who owe money for unpaid parking fines in central London.

Westminster City Council, which is home to tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street and Big Ben and popular shopping areas like Oxford Street and Bond Street, on Friday released its annual list of the top ten countries whose motorists owe it money for parking violations, with more than £1 million ($1.33 million) owed in total.

While France topped the list, Qatar came second with £191,105 owed to the council. The United Arab Emirates ranked third, with £116,030 still outstanding.

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Saudi Arabia was included on the list for the first time, ranked in eighth place, with fines totalling £64,065.

It was followed by Kuwait in ninth place with £55,530, while the other two Gulf Cooperation Council members – Oman and Bahrain – did not make the list of the top ten.

Westminster City Council said it is working with embassies and organisations abroad to try to track down foreign offenders and is in the process of obtaining a court judgment to pursue those abroad who owe it money in unpaid fines.

Councillor Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for city highways, said: “We gladly welcome visitors from abroad who wish to visit our iconic roads and landmarks.

“However, drivers who park irresponsibly are a nuisance for our residents and visitors alike. This should be a reminder that a foreign number plate does not give you immunity from the law.

“We are committed to ensuring those who break the rules are forced to pay up.”

Arab motorists regularly transport their luxury cars to London to use during the summer holidays. Dubai’s Emirates SkyCargo, the carrier’s freight division, last year launched Emirates SkyWheels, a specialised transportation product aimed at high value automobiles.

The carrier transports an average of 150 cars a month using the service, with prices starting from 20,000 UAE dirhams ($5,443) one-way per vehicle, according to a report earlier this year by Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper. London is one of the most popular routes for the service and the summer months are peak season.

© Zawya 2017