Emirates has broken ground on its new $5.1 billion engineering complex at Dubai South, a project that will become one of the world’s largest and most advanced aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities.
The facility is being developed by China Railway Construction Corporation, while Artelia has been appointed as project consultant.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline; HE Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South; and Dai Hegen, Chairman of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said that, “The new facility strengthens Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production, and specialist capabilities under one roof. This latest investment also aligns directly with Dubai Economic Agenda D33, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global economic hub and center of aviation excellence and laying the foundations for the next chapter of growth for Dubai, the UAE, and the wider MRO industry.”
HE Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, noted that, “At Dubai South, our mandate is aligned with the vision of our wise leadership to further strengthen Dubai’s position as the aviation capital of the world through the development of an integrated ecosystem that supports the future needs of the global aviation sector. The groundbreaking of this world-class facility marks another milestone in advancing the aviation infrastructure surrounding Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to become the largest once completed.”
Image Courtesy: Emirates | Cropped by GBN
Large-scale engineering facility
The new Emirates engineering complex will cover approximately 1.1 million square meters, making it one of the world’s largest aviation engineering facilities by volume and the largest steel structure in the GCC.
The project will include a hangar complex capable of simultaneously servicing 28 wide-body aircraft, in addition to two dedicated aircraft painting hangars.
Other key features of the facility include:
A 285-meter-wide free-span aircraft hangar
A dedicated landing gear workshop
Around 77,000 square meters of repair and maintenance workshop space
Approximately 380,000 square meters of storage and logistics capacity
Two paint hangars designed to service wide-body and narrow-body aircraft
The development will also include a dedicated Emirates Engineering administrative building with 50,000 square meters of office space and 15,000 square meters of training facilities.
Emirates emphasized that the engineering complex is designed with sustainability considerations, and all facilities are targeting LEED Platinum certification.
The project will include rooftop solar panels and additional measures aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2030. Once operational, the facility will initially support heavy maintenance requirements and additional engineering projects transferred from the Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport.
