Dubai is the world’s busiest airport, but is the tourism boom begining to strain the affluent city?
Dubai is welcoming extra vacationers than ever, however native residents do not at all times profit.
Dubai Worldwide Airport was the world’s busiest for worldwide journey in 2024, officers introduced on Thursday.
The hub noticed a report 92.3 million passengers cross by its terminals final yr.
The consequence cements Dubai’s bounce again from the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing the earlier report set in 2018 for the primary time.
It coincides with a real-estate growth and the town’s highest-ever tourism numbers, which have made Dubai a trending vacation spot in addition to a well-liked layover cease.
Nonetheless, the town is now grappling with growing site visitors and housing prices, pressuring each its Emirati residents and the overseas residents who energy its financial system.
Dubai Aiport was the world’s busiest in 2024
Immediately, Dubai Worldwide Airport seems like it’s bursting on the seams with plane actions and crowds passing by its cavernous terminals.
Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, introduced the report variety of passengers on the social media platform X.
The state-owned airport is dwelling to the long-haul service Emirates, which powers the community of state-owned and state-linked companies generally known as ‘Dubai Inc’.
“Dubai is the airport of the world […] and a brand new world within the aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
In 2023, the airport, generally known as DXB, had 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 site visitors was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 – its earlier busiest-ever yr earlier than the pandemic – whereas 66 million passengers handed by in 2022.
Dubai plans transfer to metropolis’s second airport
In 10 years, authorities plan to maneuver operations to the city-state’s second airport after a virtually $35 billion (€33.5 billion) improve.
Al Maktoum Worldwide Airport is roughly 45 kilometres away from DXB.
The airport, which opened in 2010 with one terminal and is named DWC, served as a parking zone for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and different plane throughout the pandemic.
However since then, it has slowly returned to life with cargo and personal flights. It additionally hosts the biennial Dubai Air Present and has an unlimited, empty desert through which to broaden.
DXB and DWC serve 106 airways flying to 272 cities in 107 international locations the world over.
Dubai grapples with tourism growth
Whereas tourism adverts proceed to entice travellers to the town, the fixed enhance in arrivals is placing a pressure on the native inhabitants and infrastructure.
Site visitors on Dubai’s roads is turning into a nightmare for commuters. The worth of housing continues to spike, even with new actual property tasks being introduced virtually day by day.
“Dubai is on steroids however affordability dangers are growing,” Hasnain Malik warned in a report for the worldwide information agency Tellimer, the place he is a managing director.
