Dubai government said on Saturday it plans to increase its tourism and hotel capacity by 134 percent over the next 20 years, part of a wider plan to make the emirate more competitive as Gulf countries brace for the post-oil era.

The Dubai-2040 plan forecasts 400 percent increase in beach capacity and 168 square kilometer (65 square miles) of lands allocated to logistics and other businesses, a government statement said.

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The emirate sees its population at 5.8 million in 2040, up from 3.3 million, it said.

Dubai is increasingly facing pressure from other business hubs including Saudi Arabia, which is encouraging foreign companies to setup regional headquarters in Riyadh.

From 2024, the Saudi government will stop giving state contracts to companies and commercial institutions that base their Middle East hubs in any other country in the region.

AL Arabiya