Dubai: The ruler of Dubai has announced the start of construction on a $35 billion airport terminal that will become the world’s largest once completed. The new terminal, which is being built to handle up to 260 million passengers annually, will be five times bigger than the existing Dubai International Airport.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Prime Minister and Vice President, made the announcement. The Prime Minister stated that in the coming years, all operations at Dubai International Airport would transfer to the forthcoming Al Maktoum International Airport.
The Dubai PM said in a post on X that, “As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow. It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors. 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 centre.”
Al Maktoum International Airport, which commenced functioning in 2010, is currently in the process of expansion. As soon as it is completed, it will become the new headquarters for Emirates, Dubai’s flagship transportation hub, which will include five identical runways and 400 aircraft gates.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, considers that this expansion will further strengthen Dubai’s position as a global aviation hub. Griffiths remarked that, “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.”
Dubai International Airport maintained its position as the world’s busiest airport for global journeys for 10 years in a row, which set significant pressure on the airport’s capability. The airport accommodated nearly 87 million passengers last year, surpassing the number of passengers before the pandemic. In addition, Dubai declared a new record of 17.15 million travellers from overseas who remained overnight in 2023, which is nearly a 20 percent increase from last year.
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