Dubai: Dubai World Central (DWC) - the 140-square-kilometre aviation and logistics city in Jebel Ali - will open for business in June 2010, the government has reconfirmed.
"Our vision for Dubai is to be an unparalleled global commercial, trade and transportation hub with a unique integrated multi-modal logistics platform in DWC which will change all known air, land and sea transportation parameters," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), who is also president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said in a statement.
"Construction on all related infrastructure works is continuing with all our stakeholders recognising the fact that Dubai World Central is a committed Dubai government project; and once the global economic recession tides out its cycle, work towards its final master plan will resume at its original pace."
Gulf News last month confirmed the new opening date.
Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports Company, which has the mandate to operate both Dubai International and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC-AMI), had confirmed that phase one of the DWC-AMI would be open by June 2010.
"As we are expanding capacity within the Dubai International, the pressure to open DWC-AMIA is less. However, the first phase which involves the first runway, a terminal and associated facilities including the air traffic control tower, will be ready by early next year and we expect to open this by June 2010," Griffiths told Gulf News last month.
"However, the development of phase two which is the construction of four more runways, terminal and concourse buildings will progress in line with the traffic growth projections and could go beyond 2015."
The confirmation nullifies rumours that the airport is being delayed further.
Shaikh Ahmad said: "While we have extended the opening date of the project to accommodate all related construction, licensing and regulatory standards, we have not lost sight of the long-term vision of Dubai's most strategically important infrastructure development which is designed to support Dubai's aviation, tourism, commercial and logistics requirements until 2050 and beyond."
Dubai Aviation City Corporation incorporates both Dubai World Central and Dubai Airports Company.
Meanwhile, Dubai Logistics City (DLC) has begun licensing completed warehouses and logistics offices and handing over facilities to tenants to commence operations on-site.
