Dubai: The development of Dubai’s future super-hub, Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC), is moving ahead with an earmarked investment of $32 billion (Dh117.5 billion).
The announcement on Monday by Dubai Airports, the state-owned airport owner and operator, comes as Dubai International is increasingly handling more and more passengers.
Paul Griffith, Dubai Airports chief executive officer, said by phone on Monday, that Dubai International is coming to a point where there are no more expansion plans available.
“The existing capacity of Dubai International will be exhausted in four to five years,” he said.
Dubai International handled more than 39.8 million passengers in the first seven months of the year, up 4.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.
DWC, located in the south of the emirate near the Jebel Ali area, is expected to be one of the busiest airports in the world when it is finally completed with an annual passenger capacity of 220 million. The airport will also feature five runways, four concourses and two terminal facilities on either side of the site and a six track train system connecting the terminals and concourses.
The completion of the first phase in six to eight years time will lift the airports passenger capacity to 120 million a year.
The announcement of the DWC development follows months of planning by Dubai Airports, Dubai Airports Engineering Projects, Emirates airline and dnata, according to Monday’s statement.
DWC opened to international passenger traffic in October 2013.
