The Al Maktoum International expansion project receives $3.5 billion in financing

The Dubai Airshow 2025 witnessed a strategic announcement confirming the pivotal role played by Dubai in shaping the map of the global aviation sector, as it was announced yesterday that the ambitious expansion project for Al Maktoum International Airport – Dubai World Central (DWC) had received financing worth $3.5 billion, through an “expression of interest” letter issued by the British Export Credit Agency (UKEF) as part of the giant expansion plan for the airport, which has a total value of $35 billion.

Global trust

This support comes to ensure that British companies and institutions contribute their expertise to this development project, which aims to consolidate Dubai’s position as the largest aviation hub in the world. The official announcement ceremony took place in the “Dubai South” pavilion at the exhibition, where the British Trade Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, handed the document to the CEO of the Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai Aerospace Engineering Projects, Engineer Khalifa Al Zaffin, and the CEO of “Dubai Airports”, Paul Griffiths.

This development is the first expression of its kind of international interest in the giant Al Maktoum International Airport project, and indicates firm global confidence in Dubai’s long-term aviation strategy and economic vision. It also reflects the growing international interaction around one of the most important airport infrastructure projects of this generation.

British Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “This financing, worth up to $3.5 billion, announced by the UK Export Credit Agency (UKEF), represents an important achievement that strengthens the long-term partnership between the United Kingdom and Dubai and its pioneering projects with world-class infrastructure. Al Maktoum International Airport will redefine the future of global aviation, and with this British support, there are great opportunities for British suppliers to showcase their advanced capabilities.”

International support

For his part, CEO of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai Aerospace Engineering Projects, Engineer Khalifa Al Zaffin, said: “The expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport is being implemented through a structured program that integrates advanced engineering, flexible design and long-term planning. This step represents valuable international support for a project based on clear technical standards and a disciplined framework for implementation.”

He added: “Our focus is on creating the infrastructure that will launch the next phase of the sector’s growth in Dubai, which reinforces our leadership’s vision of making Dubai a global aviation capital.”

In the same context, the Executive Director of the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects Corporation, Engineer Suzan Al-Anani, said: “The (expression of interest) letter reflects the great international confidence in the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion project, which is based on an approach characterized by discipline and engineering leadership in all its stages.”

She added: “As the main developer and engineering body responsible for this project, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects continues to focus on setting clear and precise specifications, applying a standard methodology in construction, consolidating the principles of sustainability, and providing a flexible infrastructure that will serve the Emirate of Dubai for decades to come.”

For his part, CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths, welcomed this development as an important achievement for the project, noting that “the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion project represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink how the airport operates and what the future traveler’s journey should look like.”

He added: “This speech adds more international momentum to a project that will transform capacity, connect communities, and provide a new level of experience for hundreds of millions of travelers. The long-term vision for Al Maktoum International Airport is clear, and the announced support strengthens our ability to achieve this vision.”