Dubai Airports among world's best places to work, despite war disruption

Dubai: Dubai Airports has been named a winner of the 2026 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award, becoming the only airport operator included on this year’s global list.

The recognition comes after a difficult period for Dubai’s aviation sector, during which DXB and DWC handled around 6 million passengers between late February and April 30 amid widespread regional airspace disruptions.

Against that backdrop, Dubai Airports said it had been recognised by Gallup for employee engagement and workplace development.

The operator recorded a 74 per cent employee engagement score, up from 71 per cent in 2025, placing it in the 77th percentile globally.

According to Gallup, the award recognises organisations that meet workplace engagement and employee development standards. The benchmarking process includes data from more than 27 million respondents across over 200 countries.

Second year

Dubai Airports said this is the second consecutive year it has received the award.

Meshari Al Bannai, Chief People Officer of Dubai Airports, said: “This award recognises that the way we lead, develop, and empower our people directly shapes how our airports perform and how our guests experience Dubai.”

He added: “Engagement at Dubai Airports is embedded into the way we operate every day, from developing future leaders and national talent, to building a culture where accountability, service and innovation thrive together.”

Dubai Airports also said it is expanding the use of artificial intelligence tools as part of employee learning and training programmes linked to the future development of Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International.

The company said AI tools are being used in staff learning platforms, simulation-based training and airport operational exercises.

Dubai Airports added that programmes such as “Future Faces” and “Rising Stars” continue to focus on Emirati talent development as the company expands its workforce pipeline.

Tough operational period

During the same period, Dubai’s airports supported more than 32,000 aircraft movements and handled 213,000 tonnes of cargo as airlines across the region were forced to adjust schedules and reroute flights because of airspace restrictions.

DXB continued operating at reduced capacity by adjusting flight schedules and routes based on available airspace.

The disruptions were reflected in the airport’s first-quarter passenger figures. DXB handled 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter of 2026, down 20.6 per cent year-on-year.

March saw the sharpest decline, with passenger traffic dropping 65.7 per cent year-on-year to 2.5 million travellers as regional airspace constraints intensified.