Key Points
- Critical fuel, power and control systems may be hardened or moved underground at Al Maktoum International Airport.
- DXB faced 111 threat alerts and 17 ballistic missile strikes, including a fuel-tank hit that briefly stopped operations.
- The redesign could help Dubai preserve airport operations while expanding annual capacity to 260 million passengers.
The latest
Dubai Airports is considering placing fuel tanks and other critical systems underground as it redesigns infrastructure resilience for Al Maktoum International Airport, following missile and drone disruptions that exposed vulnerabilities at Dubai International Airport. Chief executive Paul Griffiths said planned assets could be reinforced or built below ground, with the aim of preventing damage to one component from shutting the wider airport system. The approach would extend protection beyond terminals and runways to the fuel, power and control systems needed to sustain operations during a regional crisis.
Details
- Wartime exposure: During the conflict, DXB handled 111 threat alerts and 17 ballistic missile strikes. An above-ground fuel tank was hit, starting a fire and temporarily suspending operations. Flights resumed in under an hour; there were no deaths at the airport and most injuries were minor.
- Passenger impact: DXB processed 31.5 million passengers in the first half of 2026, down 31.3% from the same period in 2025. Aircraft movements fell by more than 32% as closures, cancellations and narrower alternative air corridors disrupted Gulf travel.
- Revised outlook: Traffic has recovered but remains below original expectations. Dubai Airports now projects about 70 million passengers in 2026, below its previous forecast, while the earlier target is likely to move into 2027.
- Expansion scale: The AED 128 billion ($35 billion) Al Maktoum expansion is designed for as many as 260 million passengers a year. Plans envisage 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways, creating what is eventually expected to become the world’s largest airport.
- Protective response: During missile alerts, Dubai Airports worked with UAE authorities and the military to move passengers into protected areas. Future measures could include underground fuel storage, hardened power and control systems, greater redundancy and additional protected passenger zones.
- Strategy unchanged: Griffiths said the war had not altered Dubai’s long-term aviation strategy, but had changed how future infrastructure may be designed. The focus is to preserve systemwide continuity when an attack damages a critical operational asset.
- Airspace instability: The conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, severely disrupting Gulf airspace. Airlines cancelled or rerouted flights, then gradually restored services as restrictions eased, though renewed Iranian threats continued to create uncertainty.
Background
Across the Gulf, resilience is becoming a planning priority for airports, ports, energy facilities and data centres alongside efficiency and capacity. The shift emphasises redundancy and physical protection from drones, missiles and other asymmetric threats, particularly where critical assets cannot easily be relocated or shielded after construction.
What’s next
The key next decision is whether Al Maktoum’s infrastructure design formally adopts underground fuel storage and hardened control and power systems as the AED 128 billion expansion advances.
