Dubai's $35bn Al Maktoum airport plan: Cost, capacity, timeline and what to expect

Al Maktoum International also called Dubai World Central (DWC) is Dubai’s giant airport project: a Dh128-billion (about $35 billion) expansion that will eventually include five parallel runways, roughly 400 gates and the capacity to handle well over 150 million passengers a year, scaling up to about 260 million in later stages. The plan is to make DWC the city’s primary hub and to absorb most operations from Dubai International (DXB) over the coming decade.

DWC project details: Size, cost, runways and passenger capacity
Al Maktoum sits inside Dubai South near Jebel Ali and is being built as a full aviation city passenger terminals, cargo terminals, logistics zones and a supporting residential and business district. The headline numbers matter because they show scale: the approved expansion (Dh128 billion / ~$35bn) will give DWC five runways, around 400 aircraft gates and staged capacity increases an intermediate target of roughly 150 million passengers within a decade, rising to 260 million per year when the project is complete. Cargo capacity is projected in the millions of tonnes, positioning DWC as a global logistics hub as much as a passenger airport.

Timeline & DXB transition — when travelers will notice change
Dubai officials have said DXB will reach practical capacity in the early 2030s, and the government expects to transition major operations to DWC within about a ten-year window. That means travelers should expect gradual, phased moves: new terminals and services will open in stages while DXB continues full operations for the foreseeable future. Airlines including Emirates and Flydubai are expected to use DWC as a major hub once the new terminals are ready, but exact schedules of airline moves will depend on completed phases and regulatory steps. In short: don’t expect a single “switch off” day; plan for a rolling transition over the next decade.

What DWC means for passengers, cargo and the wider economy
For everyday travelers the immediate benefits will be less crowding, more direct connections and modern facilities designed to speed passenger flows. For business and logistics the airport is strategic: Dubai wants DWC to be a global cargo powerhouse (millions of tonnes a year), a driver of jobs, and a catalyst for housing and commercial growth in Dubai South. The expansion is expected to create employment and attract new real-estate development around the airport, with planners estimating the wider project will support large population and job growth in the area. Economically, moving more traffic to DWC will free DXB to focus on premium travel while DWC handles massive scale.

Travel tips — what commuters and holidaymakers should know now

• Book with flexibility: Airlines will gradually move routes; check directly with carriers before assuming a DXB departure or arrival.
  
• Expect new ground transport: DWC sits farther from central Dubai than DXB expect dedicated road, metro and bus links to expand as terminals open.
  
• Cargo travelers & businesses: Freight operators will see growing capacity and services; companies that rely on fast logistics should monitor Dubai South’s rolling facility openings.
  
• Long term: DWC aims to be a greener, more automated hub using modern passenger-processing tech — the airport’s design focuses on both scale and speed.
  

Al Maktoum (DWC) is not a small upgrade — it’s a city-scale airport project designed to secure Dubai’s aviation future. The $35bn investment, five runways and eventual capacity in the hundreds of millions of passengers are deliberate: Dubai is building for growth, logistics dominance and next-generation travel. For readers: expect a phased shift over the next decade, check airline notices before travel, and see DWC as the long-term answer to DXB’s capacity limits.