DUBAI: The ruler of the Gulf emirate declared on Sunday that construction has started on a new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be about $35 billion in cost and eventually become “the world’s largest.”
“We are starting construction of the building at a cost of AED128 billion ($34.85 billion),” stated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, on X. “We approved the designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport.”
The airport will “handle a passenger capacity of 260 million annually” once it is fully operational, according to a statement from the government.
One of the busiest flight hubs in the world, Dubai International Airport, would be “five times the size” and have “the world’s largest capacity,” according to Sheikh Mohammed.
The CEO of flag airline Emirates, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, states that the project’s first phase will be completed in ten years and able to handle 150 million passengers a year.
Since 2010, Al Maktoum Airport, which is situated on the outskirts of the city, has handled a negligible amount of the aviation traffic from the Gulf financial hub.
The goal of the authorities is to replace Dubai International Airport, which can handle up to 120 million passengers a year but cannot grow due to its location in the city center.
