Dubai’s leadership has announced plans to add a new passenger terminal to its Al Maktoum International Airport as part of a $35 billion expansion. The expansion, which would make Al Maktoum International five times larger than the Dubai International Airport, aims to make Al Maktoum the busiest airport in the world.
“Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the world’s largest capacity, reaching up to 260 million passengers,” announced Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler and prime minister of the UAE.
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To compare, Dubai International Airport ranked as the second busiest in the world in 2023 by seeing 86.9 million passengers pass through its gates. The expansion plans at Al Maktoum International seek to nearly triple that number. The Sheikh’s statement also revealed that, once complete, the expansion will see Al Maktoum International outfitted with 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways. There are plans in place to have operations transferred from Dubai International to Al Maktoum International over the coming years.
The expansion is part of a plan to create an entire new district around the airport, which will include eight districts and feature a mix of residential and commercial spaces.
“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,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. “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 center.”
