Dubai says "yes" to the world's largest airport

128 billion dirhams, equivalent to 34.85 billion dollars, is the amount that Dubai will have to invest to build a new terminal at Al-Maktoum International Airport, according to its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.  

The Dubai ruler announced on his social networking site X (formerly Twitter): "We have ordered the immediate start of construction of the building at a cost of 128 billion dirhams (approximately 35 billion US dollars) as part of the Dubai Aviation Corporation's strategy". 

  Dubai's new aviation plans will see the airport become the largest on the planet, five times the size of the city's current international airport.  

With a sleek, white design, the new terminal will have 400 gates and five parallel runways. It is designed for a capacity of 250 million passengers.   

The intention is that Al-Maktoum Airport will bring together all the airport operations that connect Dubai to the rest of the world. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates, has revealed his aspirations to concentrate his airline's operations at this airport, along with those of Flydubai and the other partner airlines necessary for the connectivity of the territory.  

The project is ambitious; it aims to redefine the way people travel by air. To that end, it will rely on technologies never before applied to the aviation sector. The Emirati city's already strong advantage as a leader in air travel continues to be further strengthened. 

Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum stressed: "We are preparing for a new phase in the growth of the global aviation industry... we are preparing for a phase in which Dubai will lead the international aviation industry for the next 40 years". 

The location of the new airport is strategically ideal, as the area is in close proximity to Dubai city centre, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and the Expo City Dubai business and exhibition centre. 

¿Qué consecuencias tiene esta localización? El hecho de estar cerca de algunos de los puntos principales a nivel nacional hará que la economía crezca en el área y así también en el Emirato, igual que aumentarán las ofertas de empleo tanto en el sector aeronáutico como en los servicios relacionados. 

What are the implications of this location? Being close to some of the national hotspots will boost the economy in the area and the Emirate, as well as increase employment opportunities in the aviation sector and related services.