Dubai’s leadership approved a 128 billion dirham ($35 billion) plan to build a new passenger terminal at the emirate’s Al Maktoum International Airport, which will make it five times bigger than Dubai’s main international airport in terms of size - and the biggest in the world.
“Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the world’s largest capacity, reaching up to 260 million passengers,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, said in a statement Sunday.
The airport will be in Dubai South, at the southern end of the UAE’s glitzy commercial capital, where property and logistics development is underway. An entirely new city will be built around the airport, which the Dubai ruler said will create demand for housing for a million people.
Dubai’s current primary international airport is at the northern end of the emirate, meaning a likely dramatic change in traffic patterns and transport plans for travelers once the new travel hub is in full operation.
In 2023, Dubai International Airport serviced 86.9 million passengers, the second-highest in the world after Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in the U.S.
All of the operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to Al Maktoum International in the coming years, the statement said, adding that the new airport will have 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways. “New aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector,” it noted.
Dubai’s D33 agenda aims to double the size of the city’s economy by 2033, drawing in more investment, talent and economic diversification.
The Al Maktoum International airport, which also goes by the name of Dubai World Central (DWC), is set to cover 27 square miles when completed. In addition to its projected capacity of 260 million passengers annually, it also aims to have a capacity of 12 million tons of cargo per year.
The airport forms the heart of a greater project, a 140 km2 multiphase development of six clustered zones that includes the Dubai Logistics City (DLC), Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City and the Golf City.
The project’s “first phase” is expected to be ready within 10 years, with a capacity to accommodate 150 million passengers annually, the Emirates CEO said.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, commented: “The growth of Dubai has always been hand in hand with the growth of its aviation infrastructure and today we see another bold step on that journey. The announcement of phase two of Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport’s (DWC) expansion, representing a substantial investment of AED128 billion, marks the start of a huge investment of resources by our many stakeholders in designing and building a state-of-the-art airport that will provide a quick, convenient, and high quality 21st century experience for our customers. This further solidifies Dubai's position as a leading aviation hub on the world stage.”
“DXB will continue to serve as the primary hub, meeting the needs of 100 million plus guests over the next few years as phase two of DWC takes shape.
We will be actively collaborating with our airline customers, our strategic partners, the Dubai Government, and our stakeholders to bring this visionary project to fruition,” he added.
Photo: Artist’s impression of the Phase Two expansion project of Al Maktoum International Airport DWC © Dubai Airports
