The newly discovered Al Jalila offshore oilfield is expected to begin full-scale commercial production

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of oil in 2011, giving a boost to Dubai's economy.

The new oilfield, named after the daughter of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will be the fifth producing fields in Dubai since oil was discovered in the 1960s, the Media Office of the Dubai Government has said.

Research and initial exploration in the new oilfield off the coast of Dubai predicted the possibility of full-scale commercial production within a year, the statement said.

The new field should "notably increase the production of crude in Dubai, whose current oil reserves are about 4 billion barrels," statement said, adding that it could help the emirate boost electricity output.

"This important discovery will provide an impetus to the various sectors of the economy of Dubai, more so because the emirate intends to increase its output of electricity to 10,000 megawatts in 2012, against 7,500 megawatts at present," it said.