The decision has finally been made. Eventually, the emirate of Dubai will close its main airport, Dubai International (DXB) and transfer all its traffic to the existing Al Maktoum International hub (Dubai World Center or DWC). The DWC is located close to the Jebel Ali industrial zone, on the border with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The ambition of this second airport, opened in 2010, was to rapidly establish itself as a cargo airport. And to also serve as a second gateway for travellers visiting the emirate. While DWC has succeeded in its freight challenge, passenger traffic has not been as strong as expected. never really took off. Its terminal, designed to handle more than 26 million passengers, welcomes around 1.5 million (official figures are not available), mainly Russian leisure travellers.
DWC to take off in a big way within a decade
But all that will change within the next decade. The Dubai government has officially announced the launch of expansion works at DWC. And, as usual, the emirate is not being half-hearted. The future terminal will be the largest in the worldfive times wider than Dubai International's current terminals. The new facilities will cover an area of 70 km². DWC will be connected to the centre of the emirate by an express motorway and a railway line.
In its launch phase, the future infrastructure will be able to accommodate 150 million passengers. " With the possibility of eventually handling 260 million passengers" Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, told the local press. The planned investment is expected to be in excess of $35 billion.
The first sketches of the future terminal have been revealed. It should include more green spaces than Dubai International's current terminals. One thing is also certain: the commercial areas - bars, restaurants, duty free shops and boutiques - will cover an area of 100,000 m². That's the size of a shopping centre.
While the new terminal is being built, the existing airport will continue to handle the majority of passengers, some one hundred million a year, according to Paul Griffiths. In 2023, DXB recorded 87 million passengers. This figure is on a par with 2019, a record year for the airport hub.
