AGBI
Gavin Gibbon
10 Mar 2026
Cast in the shadow of the airport behemoths of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Al Ain International Airport is playing its part in the evacuation process of passengers amid the ongoing Iranian conflict.
Located 18 kilometres northwest of Al Ain City, Al Ain International Airport is Abu Dhabi’s second airport serving global destinations, operating since 1994. The population of Al Ain is estimated to be just under 700,000, according to the latest figures from independent data platform World Population Review.
The airport serves more than 100,000 passengers on average annually. This compares to neighbouring Dubai International Airport, which handled 95 million passengers in 2025.
It is one of five operated by Abu Dhabi Airports company, which includes the main international hub Zayed International Airport, and is seen as a key component in the UAE’s first aerospace cluster, which was established in Al Ain in 2008 by Abu Dhabi Airports and the emirate’s sovereign fund Mubadala...
Al Ain: the little-known UAE airport's part in Iran conflict | AGBI | 10 Mar 2026
