Dubai spends US$42.5 billion on mega projects ahead of Expo 2020

In advance of its hosting of international trade fair Expo 2020, Dubai is spending US$42.5 billion on a series of major infrastructure projects.

The first World Expo to be staged in the Middle East, the six-month event is forecast to attract up to 300,000 visitors per day, half of them from abroad, when it opens in October 2020, according to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The value of Expo-related projects under way hit US$42.5 billion in March with US$11 billion of that spent on hotels and theme parks, according to the Construction Intelligence Report.

The projects include a US$8 billion expansion of Al-Maktoum International Airport, boosting its capacity to handle 160 million travellers per year.

The Emirate is also spending US$2.9 billion to develop a new metro line that will link its main transport hubs to the Expo site.

Image: Aerial plan of the Dubai 2020 Expo site.

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