Dubai's new airport will be five times the size of its current one and aims to be the largest in the world

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai's leadership approved a 128 billion dirham ($35 billion) plan to build a new passenger terminal at the emirate's Al Maktoum International Airport, which will make it five times bigger than Dubai's main international airport in terms of size — and the biggest in the world.

"Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the world's largest capacity, reaching up to 260 million passengers," Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE, said in a statement Sunday.

For reference, Dubai International Airport in 2023 serviced 86.9 million passengers, the second-highest in the world after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in the U.S.

All of the operations at Dubai International Airport, currently the second-busiest in the world by passenger traffic, will be transferred to it in the coming years, the statement said, adding that the new airport will have 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways. "New aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector," it added.

The Dubai Media Office shared digital renderings of the planned airport, which showed futuristic images of expansive airport infrastructure, enormous terminals and space-age looking designs.

The airport will be in Dubai South, at the southern end of the UAE's glitzy commercial capital, where property and logistics development is underway. An entirely new city will be built around the airport, which the Dubai ruler said will create demand for housing for a million people.

Dubai's current primary international airport is at the northern end of the emirate, meaning a likely dramatic change in traffic patterns and transport plans for travelers once the new