DUBAI – Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest travel hub, is expected to rack up record numbers in 2025 and handle nearly 100 million passengers this year, the operator announced on Wednesday.
Dubai Airports said in a statement that it expects passenger numbers to reach 99.5 million in 2026, amid rising demand in several key markets.
DXB handled 95.2 million passengers last year, an increase of 3.1% compared to 2024. India, Saudi Arabia and the UK remained the largest markets, while China, Egypt and Italy recorded double-digit growth.
Dubai is home to the world’s tallest tower and palm-shaped islands and is the Middle East’s largest tourism and trade center. It is also a key air link between Europe and Asia, and last year welcomed 19.6 million international guests, according to government data.
“DXB achieved its busiest day, month, quarter and year on record in 2025, delivering consistent operational excellence while operating at the very edge of its physical capacity,” Dubai Airports Authority said.
To accommodate rising demand and a rapidly growing population, the United Arab Emirates has announced a major $35 billion expansion of its second airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, also operated by Dubai Airports.
The expansion is designed to handle 150 million passengers per year over the next 10 years, reaching 260 million passengers per year when completed.
(Reporting by Federico Maccioni; Editing by Mark Potter)
