Dubai’s new airport: Here are 7 amazing features at upcoming Al Maktoum International

Dubai: The proposed passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), will cover an expansive 70 square kilometres – five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport (DXB).

It will be home to some of the most impressive technological advancements, including automated people movers (APMs), no counters for immigration and check-in, robotics for baggage handling, and much more.

On Thursday, Khalifa Al Zaffin, the Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and Dubai South, revealed some of the ‘coolest’ features travellers can look forward to at the proposed $35 billion passenger terminal.

The terminal will feature two passenger terminals and seven concourses, with over 400 aircraft gates to ensure capacity for future growth.

Commenting on DWC’s core structure being a cluster of 8 smaller airports compared to having one large airport terminal, Al Zaffin said, “We have gone through a lot of (design) iterations…through a lot of modelling on the airfield itself.”

Out of the “main terminal building” (expected to be a part of Phase 1 of the development), the concourses will branch out to form extensions like “a pair of arms”, and all “the growth and future phases at the airport will take place on those extensions,” he explained.

The new airport will be a ‘technological marvel’, according to Al Zaffin. He said, “I think the main difference between existing airports nowadays and the future airport is (the use of) technology and artificial intelligence. The whole ecosystem will be very different. We depend on technologies to process people very quickly and intuitively.”

A key feature is a state-of-the-art Automated People Mover (APM), designed to be integrated within the buildings at the arrivals level.

For transit passengers, for example, all gate allocation will be done through technology, said Al Zaffin.

“If there are two aircraft where most of the transferring will happen between them, we put them next to each other. And if it is far away, the passengers can hop on a train, which will take them to your area,” he explained.

In an earlier interaction, Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, said a subterranean (underground train network) is in the works.

The tech used at the airport will be “seamless and borderless”, making queues for immigration, check-in, and customs non-existent. He explained, “You won’t have to go to immigration to know who you are. Once you enter the airport, they will know who you are, where you are coming from, and where you are going. They know everything about you and can process you (very fast).”

The airport will integrate advanced technologies, including robotics for baggage handling, security and maintenance. The systems will work alongside AI-driven solutions to optimise operations and improve efficiency. Biometric identification, smart security measures, and automated check-ins will offer passengers a faster and more seamless experience from start to finish.

Located near Jebel Ali Port and free zones, the airport creates an integrated multimodal logistics hub connecting air, land, and sea, significantly enhancing Dubai's global trade and logistics positioning for decades. Economically, the project is expected to support up to one million people through employment and housing, which is integral to the development of Dubai South, a master-planned city and logistics hub.

Sustainability is central to AMIA's design, with the airport targeting LEED Gold certification. “Key eco-friendly features include sustainable power installations, water conservation technologies, and waste management systems, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality and minimise environmental impact,” added Al Zaffin.