Zayed Airport sign 1-1706613146889
Traffic signs to Zayed International Airport have been updated from Abu Dhabi International Airport. The new name, effective from February 9, 2024, pays tribute to UAE founder Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Image Credit: Abdulla Rashid

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Municipality, in collaboration with the traffic and patrol services of the Abu Dhabi Police, initiated the replacement of traffic guidance signs leading to the airport here.

The new road signs reflect the recent renaming of “Abu Dhabi International Airport” to “Zayed International Airport”.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will be officially renamed Zayed International Airport, in honour of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

New name takes effect on February 9

The new name will take effect on February 9, 2024, coinciding with the official opening of the airport’s new Terminal A.

The name change is a directive of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in honour of his father.

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the founder of the UAE and its first president, who served from 1971 until his death in 2004.

The announcement of the name change came as flights began from Terminal A, which has unleashed a three-fold increase in the frequency and reach of flights to and from Abu Dhabi – compared to the old terminal – and with flights to 117 destinations globally..

Although the official opening of Terminal A won’t take place until February, the first commercial flight from the terminal departed on October 31, 2023, an Airbus A350-1000, operated by UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways and bound for New Delhi.