Global financial crisis speeding up process of structural shift in Dubai

The composition of Dubai's economy will undergo a structural shift over the next few years toward sustainable long-term sectors such as transportation, healthcare, education, tourism and financial services.

The global financial crisis has speeded up this process, Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), told members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

"This shift in the relative importance of various sectors of the economy is, in fact, a central component of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, but it's happening more quickly than envisioned by the plan, largely due to the impact of the global crisis," said Bin Sulaiman during the Dubai Chamber's quarterly Business Breakfast, its second of 2009.