Dubai plans to move its bustling international airport to a new complex costing $35 billion within the next 10 years.

Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest aviation hub for international flights, will move its operations to the state's second-largest airfield in the desert south "in the next 10 years" in a project costing nearly $35 billion, its ruler said on Sunday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's announcement marks the final stage in the restoration of Emirates' long-haul operations after the coronavirus pandemic halted international flights. Plans to relocate operations from the airport known as DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central have been on the table for many years, but they were also delayed by the economic crisis in the emirate in 2009. "We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn," Sheikh Mohammed stated in an online announcement. "Dubai will become the airport of the world, its port, its urban center, and a new global hub."

The announcement features computer-generated images of curved, white terminals resembling traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula. According to the statement, the airport will include five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates. The airport currently has only two runways, just like Dubai International Airport.

The financial condition of the airline Emirates serves as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and, more broadly, for the economic state of the country. Dubai and the airline quickly recovered after the pandemic, promoting tourism even as some countries slowly emerged from their pandemic slumber.

The number of passengers passing through DXB surged last year, surpassing the total for 2019 and reaching 86.9 million passengers. In 2019, the total number of passengers was 86.3 million. In 2018, the airport had 89.1 million passengers, its busiest year before the pandemic, while in 2022, 66 million passengers passed through it.

Earlier in February, Dubai announced its best-ever tourism performance, reporting that 17.15 million international overnight visitors arrived in 2023.

Al Maktoum International Airport, located 45 kilometers (28 miles) from DXB, opened in 2010 with a single terminal. It served as a parking facility for Emirates' double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic, and has been slowly reviving with cargo and private flights since then.

The announcement by Sheikh Mohammed highlights Dubai's plans for further expansion to the south. Already, its neighboring venue for Expo 2020 is offering housing for buyers. "As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, the demand for housing for a million people will increase," said the ruler of Dubai. "Leading companies in logistics and air transport will be located here."

However, financial difficulties had previously hindered the move. The economic crisis in Dubai in 2009, triggered by the Great Recession, forced Abu Dhabi to provide the city-state with financial assistance amounting to $20 billion. Meanwhile, the state is still trying to recover from the largest recorded rainfall in the UAE, which disrupted flights and commercial activities for several days.