It’s official. Plans have been approved and work has begun on Dubai’s new airport. Once complete Al Maktoum International Airport will be the world’s largest in terms of capacity. It will be able to handle up to 260 million passengers annually. For comparison, In 2023 Dubai International Airport processed 87 million passengers.

In terms of size, the new terminal will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport. Taking up a total of 70 square kilometres. It will feature five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates.

The new desert mega-hub sits 45 kilometres south west of Dubai and will be the shiny new home of the flagship carrier, Emirates. It will take about 10 years to complete at a cost of $53 million (AUD). All operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to the newer location. 

“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,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said on X.

“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.”

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