What happens to DXB after shutdown? CEO explains plans

Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the world’s busiest air hubs, is set to eventually shut down and be transformed into a large-scale real estate development, according to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market 2025, Griffiths confirmed that once Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) reaches full operational capacity, all services will transition from DXB, paving the way for a dramatic shift in the city’s infrastructure and landscape.

“The current thinking is when DXB gets to a point where we've got enough capacity at DWC to make the complete transition, we will move every single service to DWC,” said Griffiths.

“There is little sense in operating two major hubs with such close proximity to one another.”

DXB, which opened in 1960 and handled over 92 million passengers last year, is projected to become economically unsustainable within the next decade due to aging infrastructure.

Griffiths noted that maintaining DXB would require massive investment, making a phased closure and redevelopment the more practical solution.

DWC, located in Dubai South, is currently undergoing a $35 billion expansion and is expected to become the world’s largest airport.

Once complete, it will accommodate up to 260 million passengers annually, include five runways, and feature 400 aircraft gates.

Griffiths likened the transition to the closure of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport, which was converted into residential and commercial space.

He indicated that DXB’s vast land area will be repurposed as part of a new real estate masterplan, helping to “spread the city out.”

Although no definitive closure date for DXB has been set, officials anticipate the full transition will unfold over the next two decades.

The move marks a new era in Dubai’s aviation and urban development strategy.