Dubai's Sheikh Approves $35B Al Maktoum Airport Expansion
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, has given the green light for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, with a budget of AED 128 billion ($34.87 billion). The airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), is poised to become the world's largest in terms of capacity, able to accommodate up to 260 million passengers annually. This capacity is five times that of the existing Dubai International Airport (DXB), from which all operations are expected to be transferred to DWC in the future.
The new terminal will include 400 aircraft gates distributed across five runways. DWC, which initially opened in 2010 as a cargo airport with a small passenger terminal commencing operations in 2013, has faced delays in its expansion due to funding issues. Despite these setbacks, the latest announcement signifies a significant milestone in Dubai's aviation industry and its recovery efforts following the global travel disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. No specific timeline has been provided for the completion of the DWC project.
The ambitious project not only reflects the growth of Emirates, Dubai's long-haul carrier but is also part of a broader vision to establish an airport city in Dubai South. This development is designed to meet the housing needs of one million residents and will serve as a new global center, hosting major logistics and air transport companies. Sheikh Mohammed emphasized the strategic importance of the project, indicating that DWC will set a new standard in the aviation sector by incorporating technologies never used before in the industry.
