Dubai’s ruler, Prime Minister, and Vice President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, revealed plans for a groundbreaking $35 billion airport terminal project, aimed at establishing the world’s largest airport capacity upon completion. Set to be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, the new terminal will accommodate up to 260 million passengers annually.
“All operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to the newer Al Maktoum International Airport over the coming years,” announced Sheikh Mohammed, emphasizing the monumental scale of the endeavor. He added, “We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn. Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub, and its new global center.”
The Al Maktoum International Airport, inaugurated in 2010, will become the flagship carrier Emirates’ new home, boasting five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates upon completion. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, expressed confidence that the development would solidify Dubai’s status as a premier aviation hub. “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,” Griffiths remarked.
Dubai International Airport has been the world’s busiest airport for international travel for a decade, with its capacity stretched by nearly 87 million passengers utilizing the transit hub last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The move to expand comes on the heels of Dubai’s record-breaking announcement of 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023, marking a nearly 20 percent increase from the previous year.
