Bradford has played a "strong role" in helping to bring about a bumper year of foreign investment in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

German, Australian, Irish and Middle Eastern companies are among Bradford's current crop of foreign investors who are helping to push forward the Birth of a New City initiative.

Annual figures released by Yorkshire Forward show that Yorkshire and the Humber has enjoyed its highest levels of inward investment for seven years, with 55 overseas companies choosing to invest in the region.

Three months ago, the English arm of Garbe - one of Germany's most established developers - announced it was planning to convert three old Bradford wool warehouses into apartments.

The announcement came hot on the heels of news that an Abu Dhabi firm, Projenco Al Khaleej, was bankrolling the proposed £90 million urban village in Listerhills. Meanwhile, Dublin-based Crownway Investments bought Bradford's Kirkgate shopping centre and McGinnis Developments, of Northern Ireland, announced an apartment scheme at Beehive Mills, next to Bradford University earlier this year.

The year also saw Australian company Westfield's investment in the Broadway site reach £55 million.

Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Centre Regeneration, said: "Already the city has attracted some of the world's major developers including Westfield, the world's biggest shopping centre developer, and developers Garbe UK, which has an extremely strong track record in Germany.

"The £90m joint venture between Mi7 Developments and Middle Eastern investor Projenco Al Khaleej to develop the Listerhills Urban Village has already opened the door to further overseas investment in the city.

"Bradford offers great potential and provides the opportunity for substantial returns. We know this is being realised on a global stage with investors from the United Arab Emirates telling us that many Middle East investors are now looking at the Yorkshire region for investment opportunities and Bradford is top of the list.

"The opportunities available are being communicated to investors and developers on an international level.

"Businesses worldwide are now realising there are huge investment opportunities right across the Bradford district with massive regeneration schemes including the Airedale Masterplan really complementing the exciting projects taking place in and around the city centre."

Mani Waheed, managing director of Bradford-based city centre property specialists Squarefoot Apartments, which is selling apartments on behalf of German developer Garbe, said: "Increased foreign investment coming into Bradford is a strong indication that the image of the city is improving internationally and should be welcomed."