Infographic: Dubai's Expo 2020 Bid Has Residents Thinking Big

• Among those aware of Dubai’s Expo 2020 bid, 91% think Dubai will win it
• 81% say they are more likely to stay in the UAE until 2020 if Dubai hosts Expo 2020
• If Dubai hosts Expo 2020, 60% of online respondents say they are more likely to invest in the UAE

Dubai residents anxiously await the upcoming Expo 2020 vote, which falls just days before the UAE’s National Day celebrations. Amid increasing speculation over the vote, YouGov surveyed UAE residents online to see what they think hosting Expo 2020 would mean for Dubai.

Most commonly, online respondents thought hosting Expo 2020 would ‘boost tourism’ (75 percent), lead to ‘job creation’ (63 percent) and ‘global media exposure’ (52 percent). However, when asked what is the most important benefit of hosting Expo 2020, most commonly online respondents stated ‘job creation’ (27 percent).

Indeed, the prospect of hosting the Expo 2020 is a sign of economic stability for many UAE residents. In fact, 81 percent of online respondents say they are more likely to stay in the UAE until 2020 if Dubai wins the Expo 2020, while 67 percent say it would make them more likely to encourage friends and family to move to the UAE. Interestingly, 72 percent agree hosting Expo 2020 would increase their likelihood of seeing their salary increase.

In addition to positively impacting the job market, online respondents also anticipate hosting Expo 2020 will positively impact infrastructure in Dubai, particularly the Dubai Airport (91 percent), the Dubai Metro (88 percent) as well as road transport (81 percent). According to Scott Booth, Head of Travel and Hospitality research at YouGov MENA, “We expect to see an immediate impact on the tourism and hospitality industries as infrastructure, particularly public transportation projects and both commercial and residential construction will be essential in meeting the city’s needs for Expo 2020.”

However, the prospect of hosting Expo 2020 also has some UAE residents concerned, “Looking at the results of our study, while it is clear that residents expect the Expo would positively impact land use, some are concerned it may increase cost of living in Dubai,” added Booth. According to the YouGov study, nearly half (45 percent) of online respondents think it will increase cost of rent. Another 39 percent think it will increase the cost of food.

Commenting on the results, YouGov MENA CEO, Sundip Chahal says, “There is obviously a sense of optimism sweeping across Dubai as the announcement for 2020 edges closer. Our research also highlights some of the economic concerns residents have regarding the impact of staging such a large, transformative event but the overwhelming majority expect the event to generate a multitude of positive benefits.”

Data collected between November 6 -10, 2013 among 1,001 UAE residents using YouGov’s Online Panel. Data is representative of the online population in the UAE.

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