UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Dubai International Airport is situated in the Al Garhoud district, east of the city of Dubai. Since it opened in 1960, the airport has expanded rapidly, with numbers of passengers increasing by an average of 15.5 per cent every year.
In 1959, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, arranged for the airport to be built. Officially opened in 1960, it had a 1,800 m (5,906 ft) long runway made of compacted sand. This was upgraded to asphalt in 1965. Now boasting two runways and three terminals, the airport serves more than 8,000 flights per week operated by 140 airlines to over 270 destinations in every continent except Antarctica.
DID YOU KNOW?
Terminal 3 is the world’s biggest airport terminal and the second largest building by floor space.