Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic, is now set to become the world’s largest airport, announced Dubai’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday through X.
Today, we approved the designs for the new passenger terminals at Al Maktoum International Airport, and commencing construction of the building at a cost of AED 128 billion as part of Dubai Aviation Corporation’s strategy.
Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the… pic.twitter.com/oG973DGRYX
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 28, 2024
A new terminal is now under construction at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, which will make it the largest airport globally.
About the world’s largest airport
The new airport will be five times the size of the current airport. It will have the capacity to cater to 260 million passengers annually.
The airport’s total area will be 70 square kilometres, accommodate 400 aircraft gates, and have five parallel runways. Additionally, it will have 12 million tons of annual cargo capacity. 
The new terminal will cost 128 billion AED (34.85 billion US Dollars or Rs 2.9 lakh crore).
Over the coming years, all operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to the newer Al Maktoum International Airport.
The airport is located on the outskirts of the city, so as a part of the ambitious plan, an entire city will be built around Dubai South’s airport, creating a demand for housing for a million people.
The airport will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors as, for the first time Dubai’s aviation sector will be exposed to new aviation technologies.
Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, said the development would solidify Dubai’s position as a leading aviation hub.
“The growth of Dubai has always been hand in hand with the growth of its aviation infrastructure, and today, we see another bold step in that journey,” he said in a statement.
The new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, first opened in 2010 will be completed within a decade.
