Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, the centerpiece of the Dubai World Central (DWC) mega-project, was unveiled as part of a broader logistics hub that also includes Dubai Logistics City and Jebel Ali Port. Initial plans called for an $8.2 billion investment and a design capacity of 120 million passengers per year.
Construction and early operations
Work on the DWC site began with the erection of a 91-metre air-traffic-control tower and the award of $1.63 billion in tenders for core infrastructure. Within roughly 600 days, contractors completed the first 4.5-kilometre runway, built to accommodate the Airbus A380, and moved on to testing.
Grading of a second major phase was finished while the opening schedule slipped from an original 2010 target to mid-2010, reflecting a shift from a six-runway layout to five. The runway’s readiness allowed Emirates SkyCargo to conduct the first operational-readiness landing, a Boeing 777 freighter from Hong Kong.
When the cargo terminal opened, it featured a single A380-capable runway, 64 remote stands and a 250,000-tonne cargo handling facility. The inaugural cargo movement marked the airport’s transition from construction to commercial use.
Passenger services followed a year later. A Wizz Air flight from Budapest became the first scheduled commercial arrival, soon joined by Jazeera Airways and Gulf Air, expanding the early passenger network.
During a temporary 80-day runway refurbishment at Dubai International Airport, DWC handled around 600 flights per week, demonstrating its capacity to absorb traffic when needed.
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In 2014, passenger throughput reached 845,046 travelers, prompting Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to endorse a $32.7 billion expansion that aimed for 120 million passengers annually, with a long-term goal exceeding 200 million.
Flydubai began operating from DWC while maintaining a presence at DXB, and the airport’s cargo arm saw volumes climb from 89,729 tonnes in its first full year to roughly 219,000 tonnes.
By creating a parallel hub, the emirate reduces pressure on its flagship airport and positions itself to capture future growth in both passenger and freight markets.
Later that decade, ALEC secured a contract to double the passenger terminal’s built area from 66,107 sq m to 145,926 sq m, targeting capacity for about 26.5 million travelers. Concurrently, Dubai arranged $3 billion in long-term financing to support both DXB and DWC developments.
Revised timelines pushed the first major expansion’s opening from 2025 to 2030, with phase one now slated for 130 million passengers annually. By the first half of 2019, DWC handled 1.2 million passengers, rising to 1.63 million for the full year, supported by 104 check-in counters, 24 boarding gates and 98 remote stands.
Long-term expansion blueprint
Authorities approved a fresh passenger-terminal programme valued at roughly $34.8 billion. Phase one of this scheme is designed to accommodate a capacity of 120 million passengers annually, with ultimate plans providing capacity for above 200 million. The layout calls for five parallel runways and four satellite concourses. Dar Al Handasah and Coop Himmelb(l)au joined the masterplanning and architectural design programme for the new airport development.
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DAEP confirmed awards for site enabling works and the second runway. Binladin Contracting Group was reported to have secured the second runway construction contract. Substructure works advanced into the next construction stage across the terminal and concourse programme.
The second runway is slated to become the next major operational milestone, with an opening target set for the close of 2027. Its completion will precede a rehabilitation programme for the existing runway, allowing uninterrupted service during the transition. Once operational, the additional runway capacity will enable flydubai to begin a phased transfer of aircraft, initially involving five to six planes as the airport scales up its operations.
Construction momentum in 2026 and beyond
By 2026, Dubai reported the execution of more than $3.5 billion in construction packages. Activities encompassed the driving of over 17,000 piles and the excavation of some 45 million cubic metres of earth to shape the terminal and concourse foundations. Workforce numbers peaked at around 9,000 on-site personnel, with plans to expand to a maximum of 120,000 workers as the programme advances.
Additional contract awards projected for the year exceed $15 billion, covering a broad spectrum of works from substructure installations to advanced utilities. A major substructure contract, valued at approximately $2.7 billion, is moving into the award stage, showing the scale of investment required to realize the airport’s long-range vision.
Emirates President Tim Clark highlighted the period from 2032 to 2033 as the preferred window for delivering the additional capacity needed for a future transfer of Emirates’ main operations. This timeline aligns with the broader strategic plan to position the airport as a global aviation gateway for the coming decades.
