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Dubai is welcoming more tourists than ever, but local residents don’t always benefit.
ADVERTISEMENTDubai International Airport was the world’s busiest for international travel in 2024, officials announced on Thursday.The hub saw a record 92.3 million passengers pass through its terminals last year. The result cements Dubai’s bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, surpassing the previous record set in 2018 for the first time. It coincides with a real-estate boom and the city’s highest-ever tourism numbers, which have made Dubai a trending destination as well as a popular layover stop. However, the city is now grappling with increasing traffic and housing costs, pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents who power its economy.Dubai Aiport was the world’s busiest in 2024Today, Dubai International Airport feels like it is bursting at the seams with aircraft movements and crowds passing through its cavernous terminals. Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced the record number of passengers on the social media platform X. The state-owned airport is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, which powers the network of state-owned and state-linked businesses known as ‘Dubai Inc’.“Dubai is the airport of the world […] and a new world in the aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.In 2023, the airport, known as DXB, had 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 traffic was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 – its previous busiest-ever year before the pandemic – while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022.Dubai plans move to city’s second airportIn 10 years, authorities plan to move operations to the city-state’s second airport after a nearly $35 billion (€33.5 billion) upgrade.Al Maktoum International Airport is roughly 45 kilometres away from DXB. The airport, which opened in 2010 with one terminal and is known as DWC, served as a parking lot for Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic. But since then, it has slowly returned to life with cargo and private flights. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.DXB and DWC serve 106 airlines flying to 272 cities in 107 countries across the world.ADVERTISEMENTDubai grapples with tourism boomWhile tourism adverts continue to entice travellers to the city, the constant increase in arrivals is putting a strain on the local population and infrastructure.Traffic on Dubai’s roads is becoming a nightmare for commuters. The price of housing continues to spike, even with new real estate projects being announced almost daily.“Dubai is on steroids but affordability risks are increasing,” Hasnain Malik warned in a report for the global data firm Tellimer, where he’s a managing director.
