Dubai has approved a 128 billion dirham (35 billion dollars) plan to build a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport. This terminal will be five times larger than Dubai's current main airport, making it the largest airport in the world.
"Al Maktoum International Airport will have the largest capacity in the world and will handle up to 260 million passengers per year," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, in a statement.
By comparison, Dubai International Airport served 86.9 million passengers in 2023, making it the second largest airport in the world after Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, USA.
In the coming years, all business areas are to be relocated from the current Dubai International Airport to the new airport, which will have 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways. Al Maktoum International Airport will also be technologically advanced and equipped with the latest aviation technologies, the statement by Sheikh Mohamed bin Rahsid Al Maktoum added.
Geographically, the new airport is located in the south of Dubai. Dubai South, where massive developments in the real estate and logistics sector are already underway, will be a new city surrounding the new airport and will provide housing for over one million people.
"The new city will be home to the world's leading companies in the logistics and aviation sectors," said Sheikh Maktoum. "We are investing in a new project for future generations to ensure continuous and stable development for our children and their children. This will be the airport, the port, the urban center and the new global hub of Dubai."
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Dubai's Emirates Airline, presented images of the new developments and emphasized that Al Maktoum International will be the new home of Emirates, FlyDubai and all airline partners connecting the world to Dubai.
"We are investing to deliver the best travel experiences of the future, create the best logistics capabilities in the world and contribute to Dubai's D33 economic agenda," he wrote. This agenda aims to double the city's economy by 2033.
Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), will cover an area of 27 square miles when completed. In addition to its capacity of 260 million passengers per year, it will also have a cargo capacity of 12 million tons per year. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in 10 years and will be able to handle 150 million passengers annually.