The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, who detailed that the plan – which should be completed within ten years – envisages the transfer of operations from Dubai International Airport, known as DXB.
“We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children. Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port and its urban and global center”, he pointed out.
Al Maktoum airport currently has two runways, and the construction of five more parallel runways is now planned. Covering an area of 70 square kilometers, it will have five passenger terminals and 400 gates, designed to receive up to 260 million travelers annually. The infrastructure, whose project is valued at 35 billion dollars (around 33 billion euros), will also support an annual load capacity of 12 million tons.
Last year, the number of passengers flying from DXB stood at 86.9 million, above data from 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic).
In 2023, Dubai recorded 17.15 million overnight stays from international visitors. The average occupancy of hotels was around 77% in the same year. Al Maktoum International Airport, about 45 kilometers from DXB, opened in 2010, with just one terminal.
Tags: square kilometers terminals
