According to a report by Middle East Economic Digest on December 11, in order to prepare for the World Expo and invest in other strategic projects, the Dubai government plans to increase infrastructure and construction budget expenditure by 43% in 2018.
　　Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved on the 11th a budget of 11.886 billion dirhams (approximately 3.2 billion US dollars) for Dubai's 2018 infrastructure projects. Of this, 5 billion dirhams (approximately 1.36 billion US dollars) will be allocated to Dubai Expo 2020 projects.
　　In 2017, Dubai's infrastructure budget expenditure was only 8 billion dirhams (approximately 2.18 billion US dollars).
　　The Dubai government stated that infrastructure budget expenditure accounts for 21% of the total budget expenditure for 2018 (56.6 billion dirhams). This also means that Dubai's budget deficit for 2018 will be 6.2 billion dirhams (approximately 1.69 billion US dollars), accounting for 1.55% of GDP. Total budget expenditure for 2018 has increased by 19.5% compared to 2017.
　　However, the increase in government infrastructure budget expenditure does not necessarily mean that more projects will be awarded next year, because many projects that will receive funding next year have already been awarded, including large-scale projects such as the Dubai Metro Red Line extension to Expo 2020.
　　The Dubai government stated that the total expenditure for the Expo will reach 25 billion dirhams (approximately 6.8 billion US dollars), and the metro extension project is expected to cost 10.6 billion dirhams (approximately 2.89 billion US dollars).