Dubai World Central (DWC, also known as Al Maktoum International Airport, located in Jebel Ali, Dubai) is undergoing expansion to increase passenger capacity.
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Approved in 2014, the Dh128bn ($34.84bn) expansion project is being undertaken by the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), an autonomous entity responsible for the planning and development of Dubai’s airports.
The project will make the airport approximately five times the size of Dubai International Airport, currently the largest airport in Dubai. It will also make the airport the world’s biggest, in terms of size and passenger capacity by 2050.
The designs for new passenger terminals at the Al Maktoum International Airport were approved in April 2024.
Upon completion of the expansion project, the airport will be able to handle more than 268 million passengers per year.
Dubai World Central expansion development phases
The Dubai World Central Airport expansion is being carried out in two phases.
Construction on the first phase began in early 2016.
The initial phase of the expansion is further divided into two sub-phases. The first sub-phase involves the construction of new terminal facilities, concourses and satellite terminals, as well as the expansion of existing facilities.
The second sub-phase will involve the expansion and construction of runways, site grading, roads and tunnels.
Dubai World Central passenger terminal expansion details
The 711,569ft² (66,106.92m²) passenger terminal at DWC Airport was opened in October 2013.
A passenger terminal expansion project completed in 2018 enhanced the passenger handling capacity from five million to 26.5 million per year. Additionally, the terminal’s built-up area increased to approximately 1.57 million ft² and added new facilities to the arrival and departure areas.
The expanded terminal features a total of 24 boarding gates, seven baggage reclaim carousels, 104 check-in desks and 2,542 parking spaces. A new baggage screening area and three new carousels were added to the existing baggage reclaim area in the arrivals hall.
Expansions in the departure area include commercial zones and offices, as well as a new check-in hall with 64 counters and an additional ten counters for business class passengers. A new immigration hall with 55 border control counters was constructed for visa and passenger utilities.
The project also included the construction of 12 new boarding lounges and expanded immigration transfer and security areas.
Dubai World Central phase one expansion details
Phase one expansion of Dubai World Central includes the construction of two parallel, 4.5km-long Code F runways – the largest runways with sufficient distance between them to enable simultaneous operations.
The runways also feature an instrument landing system (Cat IIIB), which allows them to operate under low visibility conditions.
A new 165,000m² terminal will be constructed at the west end of the airport offering a capacity of 35 million passengers per year.
Two satellite concourses, each with an area of 385,000m² and an annual capacity of 65 million passengers, will also be constructed.
The concourses will feature 200 wide-body aircraft contact stands, with 100 stands each for Code E and Code F aircraft.
Four automated people mover stations will transport passengers between the concourse and the terminal.
Six new train tracks will be built to connect the terminals with the concourses, with two tracks designated for departures, two for arrivals and two for transfers.
Three stations will be constructed at each concourse, with an additional one built at the west terminal. Additionally, a metro station will connect passengers from around the city to DWC.
A two-storey 6,000-lot car park will also be constructed with a combined built-up area of 3.5 million m².
Dubai World Central phase two expansion details
In the second phase, two additional runways with similar dimensions and capabilities will be constructed bringing the total number of runways at the airport to five.
A new terminal will be constructed towards the east side of the airport. Two new concourses, each with a passenger handling capacity of 65 million a year, will also be constructed.
The airport’s four concourses will form a megastructure, covering a built-up area of 2.3 million m². There will be 400 contact gates across the four concourses.
An additional six train tracks and seven stations will link the terminals and concourses. They will stretch across 2.7km, with large spaces dedicated to shops, restaurants and entertainment in the central piazza of the concourse.
Facilities at the DWC airport
The airport provides passengers and crew with a diverse range of top-rated fixed base operators, along with specialised and tailored amenities to accommodate VIP, diplomatic and crisis flights.
DWC facilities are also focused on delivering an unparalleled passenger experience by utilising automated bots to drop baggage at the kerbside baggage drop-off, trackable systems for predictable baggage collection and thoughtful configurations for intuitive wayfinding.
Biometrics and smart passenger tracking will be used during the expansion to facilitate seamless passenger movement through the terminals. The state-of-the-art technology will eliminate congestion and facilitate smooth airport operations.
Sustainability features of Dubai World Central
The DWC operations are sustainable from sourcing the building materials to developing the infrastructure.
In 2022, Dubai Airports received Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council or its air traffic control facility at Dubai World Central.
The high-performance insulated buildings are enveloped with solar glazing to control energy consumption. The recycling strategy of DWC is zero waste to landfill, in accordance with Dubai Municipality.
The buildings use 40% less water than the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] baseline and 100% of irrigation is done with treated water, including greywater treatment plants, condensation and rainwater collection.
Financing for Al Maktoum International Airport
Uxport credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) issued $2bn export guarantees for the airport expansion in late 2014.
Contractors involved
The expansion was designed by Leslie Jones Architecture, an architecture company.
The construction contract for the passenger terminal expansion was awarded to Al Jaber LEGT Engineering & Contracting, a construction company based in the UAE.
ALEC subcontracted AE Arma-Elektropanç to perform all mechanical, electrical and plumbing works for the passenger terminal building expansion.
Introba, an IT and security consultancy, is delivering network, communications and security services for Al Maktoum International Airport. It offers engineering design and specialised consulting services for extra low voltage systems at the airport.
Amana, a design-build company, was awarded the contract to construct a new general aviation fuel system and fuel farm at the airport. Additionally, Amana was responsible for building a new Jet A1 Bridger refuelling facility for the fuel staging area.
Landrum & Brown (L&B), an aviation planning and development company, was engaged in partnership with the multidisciplinary consulting organisation Dar Al-Handasah to carry out the advanced planning for the airport.
Partnering with National Contracting Transportation, The Lane Construction (Webuild Group) is handling 60% of the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion project.
