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The Place
Belgium is a small yet extremely developed country. With a population of more than
ten million, Belgium is located at Europe’s crossroads between the Netherlands and
France. It is easily accessible by car from the UK and Paris.
The capital of Belgium and the heart of the EU, Brussels is the city where the extremes
co-exist in perfect harmony.
Brussels is known to have a split personality: French versus Flemish, historic versus
hip, bizarre versus modest. It is a multi-cultural equation that goes much deeper
than the drama of the Eurocrats. In recent years, Brussels has evolved into an instrumental
international centre.
Foreign nationals comprise a staggering 30% of the population in Brussels with English
being widely spoken.
The Economy
Serving as the centre of administration for Europe, Brussels has a well-developed
infrastructure that is dominated by the world headquarters of multi-nationals and
European institutions.
About 60 foreign banks operate in Brussels, making the city the seventh-largest
financial market in the world. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita stands at
$23,400 annually for Brussels citizens, which is mostly service-based.
As the capital of Europe, Brussels also experiences special treatment at the hands
of European bureaucrats in the allocation of funding, since most officials live
in and around the city.
In 2002, the single currency (Euro) started circulating, replacing the Belgian franc
and furthering the transition to a truly European economy.
The Lifestyle
Brussels is an exciting city which houses passionate people and offers a wide array
of leisure time activities from the mundane to the exotic.
The city offers more than 500 different domestic beers and boasts more than 2,000
chocolate shops. The widely-varied number of restaurants and bars in the city pay
testament to the love of the good life, with Brussels’ unique ‘liveability’ characteristics.
The city is also characterised by an expansive cultural arts scene with a number
of museums and music festivals.
The Prospects
As an international financial adviser, Brussels can offer a world of great business
opportunities, a high standard of living and a potential client base which could
include some of the world’s leaders.
Brussels is estimated to rank among the world’s top five cities in terms of expatriate
population numbers, amounting to 30% of the whole population, which thus makes it
a fantastic IFA business location.
In recent years, it has evolved into a central hub for international financial transactions.
Multi-national companies have cited its strategic location and ‘value for money’
factors, along with its superior infrastructure, as the main reasons for basing
their operation in Brussels.
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