Skywards Growth, Dubai Tenders Superstructure Works At Al Maktoum Mega Airport
- Michael Ghobrial
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Project Overview
Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects has issued tenders for three superstructure packages covering key elements of the first‑phase expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. The contracts will advance the new West Terminal and three concourses, forming the backbone of what is planned to become one of the world’s largest aviation hubs.
Scope
Superstructure works for the West Terminal and Concourse One, Concourse Two, and Concourse Three
Client, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects
Location, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai South
Tender deadline, 23 March, for all three superstructure packages
Phase one completion target, 2032
These superstructure tenders follow earlier packages for the terminal substructure, the second runway, enabling works, and early utilities, signalling that the scheme is moving decisively into its vertical construction phase.
Delivery Partners And Key Stakeholders
Client, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, responsible for planning, procurement, and delivery of the expansion.
Runway contractor, Binladin Contracting Group, awarded an estimated AED 1bn deal to build the second runway for the development’s first phase.
Enabling works contractor, Tristar Engineering and Construction, is delivering terminal enabling works under a separate package.
Master planning and design, a team led by Coop Himmelb,l,au and Dar Al Handasah is providing lead master planning and design services for the overall airport expansion.
Policy owner, the Government Of Dubai, which approved updated designs and timelines in 2024 and has confirmed the long‑term strategy to transfer all operations from Dubai International to Al Maktoum International within about ten years.
Additional packages, including the automated people mover system, baggage handling system, terminal substructure, 132 kV substations, and district cooling plants, are being procured separately and will bring further delivery partners onto the programme.
Superstructure Scope And Technical Characteristics
The newly tendered contracts focus on taking the West Terminal and concourses from the substructure level up to full superstructure, enclosing the spaces that will ultimately handle tens of millions of passengers a year.
Key elements include:
Construction of above‑ground structures for the seven‑level West Terminal, with a gross floor area of about 800,000 square metres and an initial annual capacity of 45 million passengers
Superstructure works for three concourses, providing contact gates, boarding lounges, and circulation areas
Structural frames, floor slabs, roof systems, and core elements designed to integrate with extensive underground basements, housing people mover tunnels and baggage systems
Interfaces with future automated people mover stations and expanded baggage handling infrastructure
The West Terminal will ultimately be the second of three terminal complexes planned at Al Maktoum International, linked to multiple concourses via a 14‑station automated people mover network beneath the airfield.
Phasing, Scale And Timelines
The Al Maktoum International expansion is structured in multiple phases, with the current tenders falling under the first major development stage.
Key programme markers:
Updated masterplan and timelines endorsed by the Government of Dubai in 2024
Second runway contract awarded in May 2025
Substructure tenders for the terminal and concourses will be released in mid‑2025
Superstructure tenders for West Terminal and three concourses were issued in February 2026, with bids due 23 March
Target for completing phase one construction, 2032
Long‑term plan to transfer all commercial operations from Dubai International to Al Maktoum International within roughly a decade of the new terminal’s opening
When fully developed, the airport is planned to cover about 70 square kilometres, with five parallel runways, multiple terminals, and up to 400 aircraft stands. Ultimate capacity is targeted at around 260 million passengers a year and about 12 million tonnes of cargo annually.
Strategic Importance And Wider Urban Impact
The expansion of Al Maktoum International is central to Dubai’s aviation and economic strategy, effectively creating a new global super‑hub in the south of the emirate. Consolidating operations at a single mega‑airport is expected to,
Support long‑term growth plans for Emirates and other carriers
Increase passenger and cargo capacity far beyond the constraints of the existing airport
Enable more efficient hub operations with additional runways and gates
Drive large‑scale urban development around the airport precinct, with government estimates pointing to housing demand for around one million people in surrounding districts
From a construction‑market perspective, the project is one of the region’s largest single infrastructure programmes, offering a sustained pipeline of complex packages over at least a decade.
Opportunities For Contractors And Suppliers
The superstructure tenders open a new front of opportunities for regional and international firms with experience in large, complex aviation projects.
Key opportunity areas include:
Terminal and concourse superstructure construction, long‑span steel and concrete frames, high‑bay spaces, and complex roof geometries
Façades and envelopes, high‑performance glazing, cladding systems, and shading structures suitable for harsh desert climates
Vertical transportation, lifts, escalators, and people‑flow systems sized for very high passenger throughput
Building services integration within superstructure packages, coordination with later packages for MEP, baggage handling, and automated people mover stations
Specialist airport fit‑out, retail shells, lounges, and back‑of‑house technical spaces in subsequent phases
Firms positioning for these tenders will need to demonstrate strong coordination capabilities, robust supply chains for high‑volume structural materials, and proven delivery records on mega‑hub or large terminal projects.
Writer’s Opinion
Tendering the superstructure works marks the point at which Al Maktoum International’s next phase shifts from drawings and basements to visible skyline reality, and that is where mega‑projects are truly stress‑tested. The challenge for Dubai now is not just technical complexity, but programme discipline, aligning dozens of parallel packages so that runways, terminals, concourses, people movers, baggage tunnels, power infrastructure, and cooling plants all converge on a coherent 2032 handover date.
If that coordination is mishandled, the industry will see familiar symptoms, scope creep, redesigns, claims, and cost overruns; if it is managed well, Al Maktoum International could become a case study in how to deliver a next‑generation mega‑hub while the existing aviation system continues to operate at scale. For contractors, this is an opportunity‑rich environment, but also one where weak delivery performance will be highly visible, given the project’s profile and its role at the heart of Dubai’s long‑term growth story.
