Electricity-hungry Dubai is planning to build one of the world's largest power and desalination complexes, a multi-billion dollar plant that would produce nearly as much power as New York City's total generating capacity.

The new plant would be capable of producing 9,000mw of electricity and 600 million gallons a day of desalinated water, sources close to the project said.

Dubai's planned mega-complex will sit next to Dubai World Central, intended to be the world's largest airport, and the giant Jebel Ali port and free zone - where most of the emirate's power generation capacity of about 5,000mw is presently located.

The completion date of the new plant has not been announced.