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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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Recent satellite imagery has shown construction progress at the United Arab Emirates' Al Maktoum International Airport.
Dubai, which already operates one of the world's busiest airports, is establishing the world's largest, with Al Maktoum projected to handle 260 million passengers annually.
Why It Matters
Al Maktoum is being designed as a next-generation airport, with features such as AI-enhanced passenger experiences and green energy integration—signaling Dubai's ambition to fuse cutting-edge innovation with cultural identity.
Read More on World
The $35 billion megaproject also embodies a rivalry with Saudi Arabia, which is positioning King Salman International Airport to become the world's largest. Both projects are part of a broader push to rebrand the face of the Middle East for global travel, luxury tourism and foreign investment, seeking to move away from reliance on oil revenues.
That rivalry extends to courting U.S. business interests, with pledges to channel trillions of dollars into American companies and defense purchases. The countries have also built direct business ties with the Trump Organization, raising ethical concerns in the United States.
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What To Know
Al Maktoum International Airport, part of the Dubai World Central megaproject, began cargo operations in 2010 and officially opened in 2013, with the passenger terminal expanded to increase passengers' capacity.
Construction began in 2005 but has been stalled over the years by an economic crisis in 2009 and the slowdown that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported.
A second expansion phase was announced in April 2024, including the construction of a new passenger terminal.
"Dubai will be the world's airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE, said at the time.
The airport is in Dubai South, a purpose-built economic zone and urban development designed to further include high-end residential and commercial infrastructure.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) was dubbed the world's busiest in 2024, handling a record 92.3 million passengers. Al Maktoum airport spans 70 square kilometers, five times the size of DXB, according to the Emirati government.
What People Are Saying
Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports told International Airport Review in an interview published on Monday: "The idea is we do not want to replicate the walking distances, the complexity and the passenger inconvenience of many of the world's largest airports, which to me are not very passenger centric. Unfortunately, for too long, airports have been largely designed by architects for the convenience of the operator. We want to take a completely different approach. We want to put the passenger first, and we want to create an experience that is going to be not just pleasant, but world-class in terms of customer service."
The Dubai Airports website said of the expansion: "The project envisions an airport that will eventually become the world's largest hub in terms of capacity."
What Happens Next
Al Maktoum International Airport is set to emerge as Dubai's primary gateway by 2032.
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