Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion
Status, timeline, budget and the areas around it, with every fact sourced.
- Type
- Airport
- Emirate
- Dubai
- Budget
- Dh128 billion ($34.8 billion) for the new passenger terminal
Overview
Dubai approved designs for a Dh128 billion passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport in April 2024, with construction starting the same month. The first phase is planned for 150 million passengers a year, rising to 260 million when all phases are complete. Dubai Airports expects operations at DXB to move to the new airport in phases over about a decade.
- Status
- Under construction (designs approved and construction started April 2024)
- Type
- Airport
- Emirate
- Dubai
- Budget
- Dh128 billion ($34.8 billion) for the new passenger terminalSource: The National
Timeline
28 April 2024
Dubai government approves terminal designs and construction starts
Source: The National2034 (approximately; 'about a decade' from April 2024 as published)
Transfer of operations from DXB, phased, completing in about a decade (Dubai Airports CEO)
Source: The National
Key facts
- Capacity
- 150 million passengers a year in the first phase; 260 million when all phases are completeSource: The National
- Gates and runways
- 400 gates and five parallel runwaysSource: The National (photo caption)
- Area
- 70 sq km, five times the size of DXBSource: The National
- DXB future
- DXB expected to close once the transition completes, enabling redevelopment of the Al Garhoud areaSource: The National
- Area
- 70 square kilometres, five times the size of Dubai InternationalSource: The National
- Capacity
- Initially 150 million passengers a year, rising to 260 million once all phases are completeSource: The National
- Gates and runways
- 400 gates and five parallel runways (photo caption)Source: The National
- Dubai International
- Dual airport operations to end; the move would open the Al Garhoud area around DXB for redevelopmentSource: The National
On the map
Single point for the existing airport aerodrome feature; the expansion footprint is not mapped.
Map point: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Stations
In route order. Stations with a map point are drawn on the map.
- 1Al Maktoum International Airport
Areas affected and nearby
Areas a source places on or beside the project, or within 5 km of a mapped point, with their latest published changes.
| Area | Why it is listed | Price, 12 months | Price, 3 years | Rent, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai South | Proximity only: the OpenStreetMap point for the area is 1.2 km from the OpenStreetMap point for the airport (distance calculated by us). No source names the area as affected. | +11.6% | +102.6%Mix shift | +0.2% |
| Emaar South | Proximity only: the OpenStreetMap point for the area is 6.5 km from the OpenStreetMap point for the airport (distance calculated by us). No source names the area as affected. | +7.4% | +81.3% | +1.6% |
Each change compares the average of everything registered in one period with the period before. It moves with the mix of homes sold as well as with prices, so it is not like-for-like growth. Source: Property Finder, from Dubai Land Department records. Other emirates: Bayut asking-price index.
Sources
- The National: Dubai to scrap dual airport operations once move to mega hub at Al Maktoum is completeRead 12 November 2026
- Wikipedia (pointer only): Al Maktoum International AirportRead 12 November 2026
Questions buyers ask
What is the status of Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion?
Under construction (designs approved and construction started April 2024).
How much does Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion cost?
Dh128 billion ($34.8 billion) for the new passenger terminal, according to The National.
When is Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion due to open or be completed?
Transfer of operations from DXB, phased, completing in about a decade (Dubai Airports CEO): 2034 (approximately; 'about a decade' from April 2024 as published), according to The National.
Which areas are near Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion?
Dubai South and Emaar South.
How the atlas is built
- Every figure is copied as published by a named source, with its link, the period it covers and the date we read it. Nothing is estimated, interpolated, averaged or rounded.
- Dubai price, rent and change figures come from Property Finder's transaction pages, which publish averages of Dubai Land Department registered sales and tenancy contracts for the last 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 3 years, with a change against the period before.
- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah figures come from Bayut's asking-price index: advertised prices, not completed sales, which usually sit above transaction prices.
- ValuStrat readings are valuation-based and appear only where the press reported a community by name.
- Sources measure different things. Compare areas within one source and one period, never across sources.
- Projects and regeneration zones come from official releases where we could read them, otherwise from The National, Khaleej Times or Gulf News. A project is listed against an area when a source places it there, or when its mapped point is within 5 km of the area's point.
- Price effects of projects are published claims, attributed to the publisher. The atlas never says that a project caused a price change.
Data compiled 12 November 2026.
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