'Confident' Brown ends Gulf tour

The Prime Minister spent most of his four-day visit exhorting leaders to engage with moves to rescue and reform the global economy.

He has been calling for states to use some of the one trillion dollar windfall from a spike in world oil prices to top up reserves in the IMF's rescue fund. In return, countries will be given greater influence on international bodies.

He said the Gulf states, as well as China, were expected to come forward with the cash at a summit to discuss financial reforms being held in the US on November 15.

Speaking to journalists in Dubai, Mr Brown said: "When we come to Washington a few days from now, I believe you will see countries coming together and make statements on what they will contribute."

Officials said the tour was set to generate more than £1 billion in agreements, contracts and memorandums of understanding for the UK.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, who has been accompanying the Prime Minister along with a high powered delegation from British firms, said Mr Brown's high profile role in tackling the global financial crisis was "worth its weight in gold" to the UK.

Lord Mandelson, who has had a notoriously stormy relationship with the PM, delivered a paean of praise for him, saying: "People are crying for change, for leadership. The fact that we in Britain can now be universally recognised as advocates of change and have been recognised as advocating it for a long time ... it's worth its weight in gold."

The PM also held out the prospect of a "quick" resolution to the Middle East peace process linked to cooperation to stabilise the world's economy.

Asked in an interview with the Al-Arabiya channel whether a settlement to create a Palestinian state could be reached "soon", he said: "I think that is possible. I think people understand how it can happen, we know that very detailed negotiations have taken place over the last few months. We know that the political situation at the moment has made it difficult for these to be brought to a conclusion. But I think given that people understand not only the importance of this, but how a settlement would look; I think it is possible with the right circumstances to move quickly to a settlement."