Dubai halts work on mega-airport project as Gulf economies stumble
- Construction activity at Al Maktoum airport has been halted and finances for expansion frozen until further notice
- The completion date for the first phase of the airport had already been pushed back five years to 2030 in October
Work on Dubai’s Al Maktoum airport, designed to be one of the world’s biggest with an annual capacity of more than 250 million passengers, is on hold as Gulf Arab economies falter, people familiar with the matter said.
Construction activity has been halted and finances for expansion frozen until further notice, according to the people, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic.
The completion date for the first phase of the airport, envisaged as a US$36 billion super-hub allowing locally based airline Emirates to consolidate its position as the world’s No. 1 long-haul carrier, had already been pushed back five years to 2030 in October.
In a statement, Dubai Airports said it is reviewing the long-term master plan and that “exact timelines and details of next steps are not as yet finalised”. It said it aims to ensure development takes full advantage of emerging technologies, responds to consumer trends and preferences, and optimises investment.
