Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Dubai Airshow 2025 featured a strategic announcement confirming Dubai’s pivotal role in shaping the global aviation sector.
It was announced on Tuesday that the ambitious expansion project for Al Maktoum International Airport – Dubai World Central (DWC) had received funding worth $3.5 billion.
This was done through an “expression of interest” letter issued by the British Export Credit Agency (UKEF) as part of the giant expansion plan for the airport.
Which has a total value of $35 billion.
global confidence
This support comes to ensure that British companies and institutions contribute their expertise to this development project, which aims to consolidate Dubai’s position as the largest aviation hub in the world.
The official announcement ceremony took place at the «Dubai South» pavilion at the exhibition.
British Trade Minister Chris Bryant handed over the document to the CEO of Dubai Air City and Dubai Aeronautical Engineering Projects Corporation, Engineer Khalifa Al Zafin, and the CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths.
This development is the first expression of international interest in the giant Al Maktoum International Airport project.
It indicates firm global confidence in Dubai Aviation’s long-term strategy and economic vision.
It also reflects increasing international interaction around one of the most important airport infrastructure projects of this generation.
British Trade Minister Chris Bryant said: “This funding, worth up to $3.5 billion, announced by the British Export Credit Agency (UKEF), represents an important achievement that strengthens the long-term partnership between the United Kingdom and Dubai and its pioneering projects with world-class infrastructure, and Al Maktoum International Airport will redefine the future of global aviation, and with this British support, there are great opportunities for British suppliers to showcase their advanced capabilities”.
international support
For his part, Eng. Khalifa Al Zafin, CEO of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai Aeronautical Engineering Projects, said: “The expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport is being implemented through a structured programme that integrates advanced engineering, flexible design and long-term planning. This step represents valuable international support for a project based on clear technical standards and a disciplined framework for implementation.”
He added: “Our focus is on creating the infrastructure that will launch the next phase of the sector’s growth in Dubai, which enhances our leadership’s vision of making Dubai the World Aviation Capital”.
In the same context, the Executive Director of the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects Corporation, Eng. Suzan Al Anani, said: “The message (expressing interest) reflects the great international confidence in the expansion project of Al Maktoum International Airport, which is based on an approach characterized by discipline and engineering leadership in all its stages.”
For his part, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths welcomed this development as an important achievement for the project.
He pointed out that the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion project represents a one-time opportunity to rethink how the airport works and what a traveler’s future journey should look like.
