Dubai's construction sector grew by 13.35 per cent between 1998 and last year.

Local media, citing a report by the municipality statistics centre, said the construction industry spent Dh6.569 billion ($1.789 billion) last year compared with Dh5.795 billion in 1998.

It said 1,917 buildings were built last year compared with 1,581 buildings in 1998 and 1,830 in 1999.

Mohammed Saeed Hareb, first assistant to the municipality director-general, said the figures showed the construction sector had grown steadily over the past few years.

Spending on the construction of multi-storey apartment blocks rose by 13.6 per cent to Dh3.880 billion last year compared with Dh3.415 billion in 1998 and Dh2.781 billion in 1999.

The report said 330 multi-storey apartment buildings were constructed in Dubai last year, which have 4,677 flats and 915 shops.

The building control section said construction of 688 buildings was completed in the second quarter of this year at a cost of Dh2.051 billion.

This is a 10 per cent rise over the 629 buildings built in the first quarter at a cost of Dh1.66 billion.