Dubai World Central Airport also known as Al Maktoum International Airport embarked on an expansion project to increase its capacity. The expansion project is being undertaken by the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) to increase its size and capacity. The contracted company is an autonomous entity mandated to plan and develop Dubai’s airport. The project was flagged off in 2014 and allocated $ 32.67 billion to put the project in motion. The project is expected to make Dubai World Central Airport the world’s largest size and capacity by 2050. The aim of the project is also to ease pressure on Dubai International Airport, the nation’s first airport. The Dubai International Airport has a limited scope of growth with its ability to accommodate 100 million passengers yearly. For this reason, there was a need for another airport in the Emirates. 
Dubai World Central Airport Expansion Project Challenges
The expansion project on the Dubai World Central Airport has stalled since 2018 and this is one of the major challenges in the project. Reports from the media in the Emirates suggest that the commencement of the expansion project is a viable option soon. If the project resumes as anticipated, the airport will have the capacity to accommodate 130 million passengers annually by 2030. The scope of the project will also enable the airport to hold 255 million passengers annually by 2050. Official talks on the project are ongoing and stakeholders were told to be on standby. The rebound of the Dubai International Airport fuels the rejuvenation of the expansion plans. The airport surpassed the traffic targets set for the last two years and is expected to acquire even more passengers.
Dubai World Central Airport Passenger Terminal Expansion
One of the phases of the project was the passenger terminal expansion launched in 2016 and was completed in 2018. The terminal boosted the Dubai World Central Airport capacity from five million to 26.5 million passengers per year. The terminal capacity expanded from 711,569ft2 to 1.57 million square feet and added new facilities to the arrival and departure terminals. Expansions in the departure area include commercial zones and offices. It also includes a new check-in hall with 64 counters. It also encompassed an additional ten counters for business class passengers. A new immigration hall with 55 border control counters is constructed for visa and passenger utilities.
Contracted Companies
The Dubai World Central Airport client company is the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and it offered subcontracts to various companies. The construction contract for the passenger terminal expansion has been awarded to Al Jaber LEGT Engineering & Contracting (ALEC). This is a local company based in the UAE. The design of the expansion project was mandated by Leslie Jones Architecture. ALEC subcontracted AE Arma-Elektropanç to perform all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works for the passenger terminal building expansion. These contracted companies are on standby as they anticipate the Dubai Work Central Airport expansion project to continue.
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