Latest news with #AlMaktoumAirport
Time Out Dubai
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out Dubai
How Al Maktoum International Airport will become the biggest airport in the world
Dubai has ambitious plans for Al Maktoum International Airport, which will eventually see it become the world's largest capacity airport. The Dhs128 billion project will be five times the size of the existing Dubai International Airport when it is eventually completed. The latest updates have revealed the three phases of construction that will eventually see it become the main airport in the emirate. The existing airport in Dubai South, also known as Dubai World Central, serves a small fraction of the planned 260 million passengers it will eventually have capacity for. But what is the history of the project? When can we expect it to be completed? And how will it change the city? What is the history of Al Maktoum International Airport? When it first opened in the year 2010, Al Maktoum International Airport had rather more humble beginnings compared to the grand plans mapped out for its future. With phase one, it had only one runway and its sole purpose was for cargo flights, opening to passengers in 2013. Construction of the airport began in 2005 with an ambition to eventually build a fully integrated 'aerotropolis' in Jebel Ali, Dubai South. Al Maktoum Airport This will be a new city within the emirate based entirely around the airport. The airport will be at the centre of the planned 140 square kilometre project. There will be six clustered zones that include the Dubai Logistics City, Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City and the Golf City. The airport has had several different working titles, including Jebel Ali International Airport, Jebel Ali Airport City and Dubai World Central International Airport. The announcement in 2024 was not the first time that the city had declared that Al Maktoum would eventually become the world's busiest airport with reports from 2013 projecting that it would do so within a decade. Phase 1 of the Al Maktoum International Airport construction Sustainability is at the heart of the design of Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: Coop Himmelb(l)au) The first phase, due to be completed by 2032, will start with the construction of the West Terminal Building, which will be connected to the city with a new express metro line, and Concourse 1. An elaborate underground train system, referred to as an Automated People Mover (APM) by airport planners, will be required at the airport due to the sheer scale of the site. Concourse 1 will be connected with 100 contact gates, and four underground stations will be built to allow passengers to move around the airport quickly. This concourse will be the first of four identical 2.7 km-long concourses at Al Maktoum International Airport. It will have a built-up area of 2.3 million square metres and feature cutting-edge passenger facilities. The concourse design is inspired by the UAE desert, with three sand-dune-like nodes running along a central spine line. The airfield will see the construction of runways 2 and 3, along with an underground baggage handling system and a ground service equipment road network. Energy centres, fire safety and other support facilities for duty-free catering, maintenance and storage will be constructed on the north side of the airport to provide the best operational and commercial support services. Once phase one is completed, Al Maktoum International Airport will have capacity for 130 million annual passengers, which is more than the 92.3 million travellers who flew through DXB in 2024. Phase 2 of Al Maktoum International Airport construction The interior of the planned new look for Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: Dubai Media Office) In the following decade, the second phase of Al Maktoum International Airport will build a second concourse, parallel and identical to concourse 1, which will enable 150 million annual passengers to flow across 200 contact gates. The second phase will also add a further three underground train stations to serve the second concourse as well as the expansion of the ground service equipment roads network and the automated baggage handling system. Support facilities will also be further expanded to match the new airport capacity. Final phase of Al Maktoum International Airport construction Everything you need to know about Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: Dubai Media Office) Once the project is completed, Al Maktoum International Airport will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, which is already the world's busiest for international passengers. It will be able to accommodate up to 260 million passengers once completed. The final development will start with the construction of the East Terminal, Concourse 3 and Concourse 4. This phase will enable ground transportation access from the east side of the city. The final phase will include a connection to the Etihad Rail and a brand new Dubai Metro line. The internal underground railway system at AMI will be expanded to become a 14-station system connecting all airside buildings in a giant loop. Runway four and five will complete the airfield and enable four aircraft to make parallel approaches. 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… — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 28, 2024 There will be more than 400 aircraft gates, five parallel runways with the highest operational specifications, and a total of five passenger terminal buildings. The airport will span 70 square kilometres once fully complete. It will also see all operations currently at Dubai International Airport eventually move over to Al Maktoum International Airport in the coming years. When can we expect the Al Maktoum International Airport project to be completed? Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and founder of the Emirates Group and chairman of Dubai World, says that the first phase of the project will be ready within 10 years and will accommodate 150 million passengers annually. Speaking at the Dubai Airshow last year, the CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths revealed that the full project wouldn't be completed until 'way into the 2050s'. He also said that once DXB reaches about 120 million passengers per year there will be a need for a new airport since Dubai International Airport is already fully optimised. On Tuesday March 4, an update from Falcon, one of the airport's top aviation services providers, outlined plans for a Dhs360 million upgrade its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. The plans by the company included the addition of a new private jet terminal by the year 2030 at what they said would be the world's busiest travel hub by then. How will Al Maktoum International Airport change Dubai? A brand new city within the city will be built in Dubai South as part of the plans. The aerotropolis has been under development and operation since 2007 in Dubai. It will host the world's leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors, which will bring lots of new jobs to Dubai. A render of plans for Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: Dubai Media Office) This means that housing will be required for at least a million people according to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The new airport will also require an integrated landside transport hub for roads, the Dubai Metro, and city air transport. What will happen to DXB once Al Maktoum International Airport is completed? Every single service at the world's busiest international airport will eventually move to Al Maktoum, according to the Dubai Airports CEO. Speaking at Arabian Travel Market 2025, CEO Paul Griffiths was asked about plans for DXB once all operations move to Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as DWC. Although the move is still some time in the future, Griffiths stated that there would be 'little sense' in having two airports the size of Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, which will eventually be five times the size of DXB, operating at the same time when they're both so close to each other. In addition, he also discussed that the assets at Dubai International Airport would require renovation by the time the move to Al Maktoum is made, so keeping DXB open would be tricky unless they invested huge sums of money. Where does Al Maktoum International Airport currently fly to? Al Maktoum International Airport, or Dubai World Central as it is currently known, flies mainly to Europe and several other popular destinations for travellers from the UAE. These include: Denmark : Copenhagen : Copenhagen Czechia: Prague Prague England: Newcastle Newcastle Germany: Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Stuttgart Italy: Milan Milan Luxembourg: Luxembourg Luxembourg Maldives: Male Male Netherlands: Amsterdam Amsterdam Norway : Oslo : Oslo Poland: Katowice Katowice Romania: Bucharest Bucharest Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, Riyadh Jeddah, Riyadh Sweden: Stockholm Stockholm Switzerland: Zurich Jetting off soon? New Emirates flights from Dubai for 2025 Will you be jetting off soon? When is the next UAE public holiday? Your public holiday questions, answered Dubai flights: When will flydubai start operations in Al Maktoum International Airport? The budget airline will open at Al Maktoum International Airport sooner than you'd think
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
World's busiest airport for international travel to close
Dubai International Airport (DXB) will eventually close, and all operations will move to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). DWC is undergoing a $35 billion expansion to increase its capacity to 260 million passengers annually. The move is part of a long-term plan, with the new DWC terminal expected to open in 2032 and full expansion continuing into the 2050s. DXB, currently the world's busiest airport for international travel, handled a record 92.3 million passengers in 2024. The decision to consolidate operations stems from the close proximity of the two airports and DXB's limited expansion capacity.
The National
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
New bridge in Dubai opens - linking Jumeirah Street to Al Mina Street
The RTA has opened a 985-metre bridge that can reduce travel time from 12 to four minutes for motorists travelling from Jumeirah Street towards Infinity Bridge through Al Mina Street. The two lanes can handle 3,200 vehicles an hour, in the latest phase of a Dh5.3 billion ($1.44 billion) road expansion project that aims to improve traffic flow. 'The new bridge will ease congestion and reduce travel time by 67 per cent through providing uninterrupted traffic flow across the new bridge without need to stop at traffic signals,' Dubai's transport authority said in a statement on Saturday. The bridge is part of phase 4 of Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project, which encompasses a 4.8km area from the intersection of Sheikh Rashid Road with Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street to the Falcon Intersection on Al Mina Street. 'Phase 4 also includes five additional bridges totalling 3.1km. The scope covers 4.8 kilometres of road enhancements, along with upgrades to key surface intersections on Jumeirah Street, Al Mina Street, and Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah Street. Two pedestrian bridges are also planned, one on Sheikh Rashid Road and another on Al Mina Street,' the authority said. 'The phase contributes to providing a free-flowing traffic along the corridor. The total capacity of all lanes is around 19,400 vehicles per hour.' During the second quarter of this year, the authority said another three-lane bridge, spanning 78 metres, will connect Infinity Bridge to Al Wasl Street via Al Mina Street. 'One operational the bridge will support up to 4,800 vehicles an hour,' the authority added. The vast infrastructure project started in 2016 and authorities expect it to reduce travel times from 104 minutes to 16 minutes by 2030. The authority is leading a comprehensive road-building strategy to help ensure Dubai's infrastructure can keep pace with continued population growth. Dubai's population passed 3.5 million in 2022 and now stands at more than 3.9 million. Dubai Government is set to invest heavily in infrastructure in the years ahead as it sets its sights on growing its population to 5.8 million by 2040. In October, Dubai unveiled its largest government budget for 2025-2027, with spending of Dh272 billion. In 2025, expenditure is set at Dh86.26 billion, with 46 per cent to be spent on infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transport systems and renewable energy centres, as well as the Al Maktoum Airport development. In March, a 1.2km bridge that can handle 4,800 vehicles an hour was opened to to improve traffic flow from Infinity Bridge, over Dubai Creek, from Al Mina Street to Sheikh Rashid Road, which begins in Bur Dubai, and the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street junction. In January, a 300-metre bridge connecting Sheikh Zayed Road to the Mall of the Emirates was opened to ease traffic levels in one of the busiest districts of the emirate. The bridge provides direct access to the mall and aims to cut travel times in half, the RTA said at the time.
Mid East Info
26-02-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
IMKAN launches Naseem AlJurf in Abu Dhabi: A luxury and serene living concept in the Emirates riviera
Naseem AlJurf marks the next phase of the AlJurf masterplan, offering a dynamic luxury living concept situated within a natural coastal environment in proximity to key Abu Dhabi and Dubai locations. Comprising 111 villas, 8 apartment buildings and 60 townhouses, Naseem AlJurf is set begin construction in May 2025. Abu Dhabi, UAE: IMKAN, a leading global master developer based in Abu Dhabi, has launched Naseem AlJurf, the latest addition to the AlJurf community and masterplan. With 111 villas, 8 apartment towers and 60 townhouses, located in the Emirates Riveria, Naseem AlJurf represents the next phase in an elevated luxury and serene living concept in the UAE. Naseem AlJurf is strategically located within the Ghantoot region of Abu Dhabi, boasting seamless connectivity to key urban and leisure hubs. Just 45 minutes from both Abu Dhabi and Al Maktoum International Airports and in close proximity to Dubai Marina, Saadiyat Island, Palm Jebel Ali, and Habtoor Golf Course, it positions residents at the heart of the UAE's most coveted destinations. As part of the expansive 3.8 million sqm AlJurf masterplan, Naseem AlJurf, which means 'breeze', is set against pristine natural surroundings which seek to evoke a sense of harmony. The vibrant community situated in an area that 1.6 km of coastline and features a remarkable 9 km canal front. The area has long been associated with deep cultural and historical significance, and its unique natural ecosystem which is setting a new benchmark for coastal living in the Emirates. Naseem AlJurf offers thoughtfully designed residences that cater to varied lifestyles. The community's centerpiece is its canal villas, each boasting direct water views and sophisticated architectural design inspired by the region's heritage. Going further, the diverse family villa types, including the elegant Somer, Tala, and Banyan villas, and the charming Alghaf and Sikka townhouses, present a unique mix of charm and functionality. Each residence is designed to promote well-being through proximity to nature, access to green spaces, and an emphasis on outdoor living. Residents will enjoy world-class amenities, including: A gated community offering exclusivity and security. Proximity to key locations, such as Al Maktoum Airport, Zayed International Airport, and Palm Jebel Ali. Scenic canal access and stunning views across 900 linear meters of waterways. A vibrant Naseem Plaza 'Souk,' offering 1,400 sqm of leasable retail and commercial spaces. Walkable pathways, or 'Sikkak,' creating interconnected, pedestrian-friendly areas for residents. A picturesque Naseem Plaza promenade, stretching 130m in depth and 70m in width. The amenities coupled with the ecologically preserved environment which spans 233,500 sqm, seek to promote a lifestyle centered around wellness and sustainability. From its tranquil beach promenade to its lush community parks, the development aims to foster a deeper connection with nature. Each villa features pedestrian-friendly walkways, or 'Sikkak,' enhancing the sense of community while ensuring privacy. Engineer Suwaidan Al Dhaheri, CEO of IMKAN Properties, said: 'Naseem AlJurf epitomizes IMKAN's commitment to crafting soulful places that resonate with the desires of today's residents. This community not only offers unparalleled luxury but also reflects our dedication to preserving the natural beauty and heritage of Sahel Al Emarat. With Naseem AlJurf, we've envisioned a sanctuary where tradition meets modernity, delivering an extraordinary lifestyle that truly enriches lives.' The launch of Naseem AlJurf closely follows the successful handover of AlJurf Gardens Phase 1the first community in the prestigious AlJurf masterplan.
