Dubai is building for the future with the massive expansion of its Al Maktoum International Airport. The airport will become the world’s largest, with a capacity to accommodate 260 million passengers and 400 gates, five runways, and surrounded by a new city with housing for one million people.
Currently, Dubai International Airport is the busiest in the world, with 87 million passengers in 2023. However, all operations will be moved to the Al Maktoum facility once it is completed. The airport will have five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, surrounded by a new city with housing for 1 million people.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, announced the upgrade of the Al Maktoum International Airport as part of Dubai South, a planned city expected to accommodate one million people. The project is expected to cost $35 billion to construct over the next ten years and serve as a central hub for global travel, trade, and urban development.
The expansion of the Al Maktoum International Airport comes as travel to Dubai returns to pre-pandemic levels, with 17.15 million international visitors in 2023. This growth in tourism and trade underlines the importance of investing in infrastructure to support future development and prosperity in Dubai.
Opened in 2010, the Al Maktoum International Airport has one terminal and two runways but it is not enough for Dubai’s growth plans. The airport was already an essential element of Dubai South strategy which aims at creating a thriving economic zone with jobs and residences for a million people across 55 square miles.
In conclusion, this ambitious project reflects Dubai’s commitment to continue growing as a major global player in trade and tourism while also providing its citizens with quality of life improvements such as modern housing developments within walking distance of their workplaces.
