£28bn plans unveiled to create ‘world’s largest airport’ in Dubai

New Civil Engineer

29 April 2024

Plans worth $35bn (£28bn) have been announced for the expansion of Dubai’s second largest airfield into the city’s main international airport, which will make it the largest airport in the world.

The plans for upgrading and expanding Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) emerged following analysis that demonstrated Dubai’s current principal airport Dubai International Airport (DXB) cannot expand to meet future demand.

According to an announcement on 28 April from Emirate of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DWC will be the “world’s largest airport”, replacing DXB as Dubai’s primary air passenger hub

Located in the desert 45km from DXB, the upgraded DWC will expand from two to five runways and will have the capacity to process up to 260M passengers a year through new terminal facilities designed to recall the traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula.

[Read more: £28bn plans unveiled to create ‘world’s largest airport’ in Dubai | New Civil Engineer]