Dubai to award more than AED 55 bn in Al Maktoum Airport contracts in the coming months

The UAE is pushing ahead with its expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, setting aside more than AED 55 bn in contracts tied to the project to be awarded by the end of the year, Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on X. The first phase of commercial operations is slated for 2032.

REMEMBER- This is the execution leg of the USD 35 bn airport plan approved in 2024. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid approved the design plan for the new terminal two years ago — and at full build-out, the airport is set to handle more than 260 mn passengers, 12 mn tons of annual cargo, around 400 aircraft gates, and five parallel runways.

This is also the planned handover from DXB to DWC: Al Maktoum International Airport — also known as Dubai World Central — will become the main hub for Emirates, Flydubai, and other airline partners. The new hub is planned to be five times larger than Dubai International Airport, with operations expected to move from DXB to DWC over the coming years.

Foreign suppliers are already in the orbit: UK Export Finance issued a USD 3.5 bn expression of interest in 2025 to support British participation in the airport’s expansion. Emirates is already earmarking USD 10-12 bn in investments for Al Maktoum International Airport.