DUBAI: Dubai’s Expo 2020 global trade fair is expected to give the United Arab Emirates an economic boost of over $33 billion, consultants Ernst and Young said in a study released Monday.
Next year’s mega-event would add 1.5 percent to UAE’s gross domestic product per year over the period that started in 2013 and runs until 2031, said EY partner Matthew Benson.
Major new construction projects and other impacts of the six-months extravaganza would create some 50,000 jobs yearly over the same period, he told a press conference.
The city-state of Dubai, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, has long become a favorite tourist attraction, valued for its safety and known for its luxury resorts and opulent shopping malls, one of which boasts an indoor ski slope.
Dubai assumes that Expo 2020 — which runs from October 20 next year to April 20, 2021 — will attract some 25 million visits, Benson said.
The economic impact includes “direct, indirect and induced effects” of the first Expo to be organized in the Middle East and Africa, he said.
The Expo 2010 in Shanghai drew 93 million visitors, and Expo 2015 in Milan attracted over 22 million.
Dubai’s government has already spent over $40 billion on major infrastructure projects related to Expo including a $2.9 billion new Metro line and an $8 billion expansion of Al-Maktoum International Airport, next to the Expo site.
The Metro line links the $13.4 billion Dubai South Villages and Dubai Exhibition Center, projects currently underway.
Al-Maktoum Airport, when complete, will have the capacity to handle 160 million travelers per year.
The 4.4 square kilometer (1.7 square mile) Expo site south of Dubai is due to be redeveloped into a full-fledged city after the Expo, the so-called District 2020, home to a mega exhibition center and scores of companies, organizers said.
Dubai Expo 2020 to give $33 bn boost to UAE economy: study
Dubai Expo 2020 to give $33 bn boost to UAE economy: study
Saudi Arabia’s foreign reserves rise to a 6-year high of $475bn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign reserves climbed 3 percent month on month in January to SR1.78 trillion, up SR58.7 billion ($15.6 billion) from December and marking a six-year high.
On an annual basis, the Saudi Central Bank’s net foreign assets rose by 10 percent, equivalent to SR155.8 billion, according to data from the Saudi Central Bank, Argaam reported.
The reserve assets, a crucial indicator of economic stability and external financial strength, comprise several key components.
According to the central bank, also known as SAMA, the Kingdom’s reserves include foreign securities, foreign currency, and bank deposits, as well as its reserve position at the International Monetary Fund, Special Drawing Rights, and monetary gold.
The rise in reserves underscores the strength and liquidity of the Kingdom’s financial position and aligns with Saudi Arabia’s goal of strengthening its financial safety net as it advances economic diversification under Vision 2030.
The value of foreign currency reserves, which represent approximately 95 percent of the total holdings, increased by about 10 percent during January 2026 compared to the same month in 2025, reaching SR1.68 trillion.
The value of the reserve at the IMF increased by 9 percent to reach SR13.1 billion.
Meanwhile, SDRs rose by 5 percent during the period to reach SR80.5 billion.
The Kingdom’s gold reserves remained stable at SR1.62 billion, the same level it has maintained since January 2008.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign reserve assets saw a monthly rise of 5 percent in November, climbing to SR1.74 trillion, according to the Kingdom’s central bank.
Overall, the continued advancement in reserve assets highlights the strength of Saudi Arabia’s fiscal and monetary buffers. These resources support the national currency, help maintain financial system stability, and enhance the country’s ability to navigate global economic volatility.
The sustained accumulation of foreign reserves is a critical pillar of the Kingdom’s economic stability. It directly reinforces investor confidence in the riyal’s peg to the US dollar, a foundational monetary policy, by providing SAMA with ample resources to defend the currency if needed.
Furthermore, this financial buffer enhances the nation’s sovereign credit profile, lowers national borrowing costs, and provides essential fiscal space to navigate global economic volatility while continuing to fund its ambitious Vision 2030 transformation agenda.
