Published: 2026-08-26
Dubai Airports will award a further AED 55 billion of construction contracts for Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) before the end of 2026, on top of the AED 13 billion of works already under construction, Chief Executive Paul Griffiths told a media roundtable in Dubai on 2026-08-26. In the 15 months since large-scale construction began, contractors have logged 10 million work hours, driven 17,000 piles into the ground and moved 45 million cubic metres of earth. The new packages will be awarded in stages over the coming months. The airport is designed to handle 260 million passengers a year when complete, and its first phase is due to open in 2032, the year Dubai International (DXB) is expected to reach capacity. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been confirmed as contractor for the automated train that will link all DWC concourses, and Griffiths said new long-range narrow-body aircraft could let DWC serve about 600 cities directly by the time it opens.
What was announced on 2026-08-26
The figures come from a media roundtable held by Dubai Airports on Wednesday, 2026-08-26, and reported by Gulf News. Griffiths used the session to answer a question that had been raised repeatedly over the summer: whether construction at DWC had slowed because of the wider regional situation. His answer was a one-word “no”, backed by the site statistics below.
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Contracts already under construction | AED 13 billion |
| Contracts to be awarded before end of 2026 | AED 55 billion, in several packages |
| Work hours committed in the last 15 months | 10 million |
| Piles in the ground | 17,000 |
| Earth moved | 45 million cubic metres |
| Design capacity at completion | 260 million passengers a year |
| First phase opening | 2032 |
| Cities that could be served directly at opening | about 600, per Griffiths |
| Automated people mover contractor | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) |
Griffiths acknowledged that global supply chains have been under strain since the end of the pandemic and said Dubai Airports is mobilising suppliers from around the world to keep the programme on schedule. He described the numbers as things “happening now” rather than a theoretical plan.
Where the AED 55 billion pipeline comes from
The AED 55 billion figure is not new in itself. It was first disclosed on 2026-06-15, when Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, reviewed progress on the project with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports. That update listed AED 13 billion of contracts under execution and “more than AED 55 billion” of strategic packages to be awarded in the next phase, covering the substructure and superstructure of the Western Passenger Terminal, a fourth aircraft concourse, the automated people mover, the baggage handling system, southern airfield infrastructure, and power generation and district cooling plants. The same June update put the workforce on site at about 9,000 people, with a peak of around 120,000 expected as construction ramps up.
What changed on 2026-08-26 is the timing. Griffiths committed to awarding those packages before the year ends, which turns a headline pipeline into a dated procurement schedule. One of the listed packages has already moved: on 2026-08-20 Dubai Aviation City Corporation awarded the design-and-build contract for the first phase of the DWC automated people mover to a consortium of MHI, its engineering arm and India’s Larsen & Toubro, as we covered in our article on the 50 km people mover. Griffiths confirmed MHI’s role at the roundtable, noting that the company already operates the train between Terminal 3 and Concourse A at DXB.
The airport in numbers
DWC’s expansion was approved in April 2024 with a stated budget of AED 128 billion. The masterplan published with the June 2026 update describes the completed airport as follows:
- five parallel runways, operating independently;
- two passenger terminals and seven concourses;
- more than 430 aircraft stands;
- capacity of more than 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of air cargo a year;
- a fully automated people mover connecting every concourse, planned at about 50 km with nine stations and 165 cars;
- first operational phase in 2032.
For comparison, Dubai International handled a record 92.3 million passengers in 2024 and is projected to reach its practical ceiling within the next six years. “By the time 2032 comes around, we will be at capacity at DXB, and the last thing the city is going to do is to allow its airport infrastructure to constrain its future growth,” Griffiths said. He added that he could not see Dubai operating two major hubs in close proximity for any length of time and described the eventual move as “the world’s largest airport transition programme by a very significant margin”. The future of DXB after the switchover, he said, will be a decision for the government.
Why narrow-body aircraft matter for DWC’s route map
Griffiths tied the airport’s timing to a shift in aircraft technology. New long-range narrow-body jets such as the Airbus A321XLR can fly routes that a wide-body aircraft cannot justify economically, which allows a hub to add smaller cities that would not fill a Boeing 777 or an Airbus A380. According to Griffiths, that could increase the number of destinations served from Dubai by a factor of roughly three, to about 600 cities served directly from DWC by the time it opens. The figure is a projection by the operator rather than a published network plan, but it explains why Dubai Airports is planning the new hub around many more gates and stands than DXB has today.
What is happening at DXB in the meantime
The investment is not confined to the new site. At DXB, a refurbished remote “hammerhead” terminal off Concourse B is due to reopen shortly together with a new retail area, and Terminal 1 is being upgraded with new floors and additional security lanes. Dubai Airports is also rolling out advanced screening equipment from Smiths Detection so that passengers no longer need to remove liquids or laptops from their bags. Griffiths said the aim is a faster and more convenient process, with the removal of belts and shoes at security becoming “a thing of the past”.
What this means for companies in Dubai
For businesses, three practical points follow from the announcement.
- Procurement volume is dated. AED 55 billion of packages awarded within roughly four months is one of the largest concentrated tender programmes in the emirate. Main contracts of this size are typically won by large international and local contractors, but each generates a long chain of subcontracts for piling, concrete, steel, MEP, façade, IT, logistics and site services. Foreign specialist firms that want to be part of that chain need a UAE legal presence to be onboarded by main contractors, which is where company setup in Dubai becomes a timing question rather than a strategic one.
- Dubai South grows with the airport. DWC sits inside Dubai South, the district that already hosts the Expo City site and the logistics corridor to Jebel Ali Port. The district is already served by the Expo metro extension, and the wider rail plans for the emirate are described in our overview of Dubai’s next growth areas. Warehousing, staff housing and office demand in the south of the city follow the construction workforce first and the operating workforce later.
- Staffing scales with the peak. A site workforce heading from 9,000 towards 120,000 people means a corresponding volume of work permits and residence visas for contractors and their suppliers. Companies bringing engineers and skilled trades into the UAE should plan the work visa and residency process into their mobilisation schedules rather than treating it as an afterthought.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with foreign companies entering the UAE market, including contractors and suppliers positioning for large infrastructure programmes. We register mainland and free zone companies, including in Dubai South and other zones close to DWC and Jebel Ali, open corporate bank accounts with UAE banks, and process work visas for staff. If your company is looking at the DWC supply chain or at a base in Dubai’s southern corridor, contact us for a structure that fits the timeline of the tenders you are targeting.
Conclusion
The 2026-08-26 roundtable added a deadline to a known number: AED 55 billion of DWC contracts will be awarded before the end of 2026, alongside AED 13 billion already on site, 17,000 piles driven, 45 million cubic metres of earth moved and 10 million work hours logged. The first phase remains scheduled for 2032, the year DXB is expected to hit capacity, and MHI is confirmed for the people mover that will tie the new campus together. For companies in Dubai, the practical signal is the procurement calendar for the next four months and the growth of the Dubai South corridor around the site.
FAQ
How much will Dubai Airports award in DWC contracts by the end of 2026?
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said on 2026-08-26 that AED 55 billion of construction contracts for Al Maktoum International Airport will be awarded in several packages before the end of 2026. This is in addition to AED 13 billion of contracts already under construction. The AED 55 billion pipeline was first disclosed on 2026-06-15 and covers the Western Passenger Terminal, a fourth concourse, the automated people mover, baggage handling, southern airfield works and power and cooling plants.
How far has construction at Al Maktoum International Airport progressed?
In the 15 months to August 2026, contractors at DWC logged 10 million work hours, installed 17,000 piles and moved 45 million cubic metres of earth. The June 2026 progress review put the workforce at about 9,000 people, expected to peak at around 120,000. The first operational phase of the airport is scheduled to open in 2032.
When will Dubai International Airport close?
No closure date has been announced. Paul Griffiths said DXB is expected to reach capacity by 2032, when the first phase of DWC opens, and that he does not expect Dubai to run two major hubs in close proximity for long. The future of DXB after operations move to DWC will be decided by the government of Dubai.
Who is building the automated people mover at DWC?
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has been selected as contractor for the automated train that will connect all DWC concourses. The design-and-build contract for the first phase was awarded on 2026-08-20 to a consortium of MHI, MHI Engineering & Services and Larsen & Toubro. The system is planned at about 50 km with nine stations and 165 cars, and MHI already operates the train between Terminal 3 and Concourse A at DXB.
