Dubai To Get A New $35 Billion Airport Terminal, World's Largest

Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum has approved a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International airport.

"Today, we approved the designs for the new passenger terminals at Al Maktoum International Airport, and commencing construction of the building at a cost of AED 128 billion ($35 Billion) as part of Dubai Aviation Corporation's strategy," he said on Sunday (28 April) in a post on X.

The Al Maktoum International Airport will be the largest in the world with a capacity of up to 260 million passengers, and five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, he added.

All operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to the newer Al Maktoum International Airport within ten years, the Emirates ruler said.

Spanning an area of 70 square kilometres, the new airport will have five passenger terminal buildings housing 400 aircraft (terminal) gates and feature five parallel runways. New aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector.

Further, as part of the airport development plan, the government will also build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South. It will host the world's leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.

The Al Maktoum International will be the new home of flagship carrier Emirates and its sister low-cost airline Flydubai along with all airline partners connecting the world to and from Dubai, Dubai state-owned airline Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said.

"We are investing to provide the best future travel experiences, best-in-world logistics capabilities, and to contribute to Dubai’s D33 economic agenda," Saeed al-Maktoum said in a post on X.

For a decade straight, Dubai International Airport has held the title of the world's busiest airport for international travel, putting the facility’s capacity under strain. Last year, the transit hub accommodated almost 87 million passengers, topping pre-pandemic levels.

In a remarkable feat, Dubai also celebrated a record-breaking influx of international overnight visitors in 2023, with numbers soaring by nearly 20 per cent to reach 17.15 million.