DUBAI: A record 92.3 million passengers travelled through Dubai’s international airport last year, its operator said on Thursday, underlining the Gulf city’s economic boom.
The figure broke the previous high of 89.1 million in 2018, Dubai Airports said, despite regional tensions caused by the Gaza war and last April’s unprecedented floods which badly disrupted operations.
The United Arab Emirates city, located between Asia, Europe and Africa, has now been ranked as the world’s busiest international air hub for a decade.
In a statement, Dubai’s ruler and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum called the airport a “global success story” and said it was targeting 400 international destinations, up from 272 currently.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said he was confident of breaching 100 million passengers by 2027.
Dubai, now expecting competition from a major new airport being built in Riyadh, in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, is also planning a $35 billion expansion and relocation to Al Maktoum International, on the city’s outskirts.
The trade, tourism and business centre is also witnessing record real-estate prices and soaring population growth, spurred by the UAE’s efforts to diversify its economy away from oil.
