Page 305 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - AUGUST 2025

8/14/25, 2:28 PM UAE airports receive 75.4 million passengers in H1 2025, ...
On this occasion, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and Chairman
of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), stated, "Thanks to the directives of our wise
leadership, the UAE continues to enhance its global and regional standing as an international
aviation hub, posting unprecedented growth rates driven by innovative national initiatives and

strategies.

This has significantly strengthened the country’s competitiveness and leadership in this vital
sector, which today represents a key pillar for driving economic growth, diversifying income
sources, and supporting trade, tourism, investment, and job creation across all aviation-linked

sectors."

He added, “The performance indicators for the first half of 2025 reflect the resilience and

sustainability of the aviation sector, as well as the competitiveness of the UAE’s airports,
national carriers, and air navigation services. We see aviation as a bridge connecting the UAE
to the world and a key enabler for achieving our long-term economic objectives. We will
continue working to expand the country's air connectivity with global markets, supported by a
flexible and advanced regulatory framework, ambitious open skies policies, and ongoing
infrastructure development plans.”

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of GCAA, stated, "Thanks to the guidance and

unwavering support of our wise leadership, the aviation sector is advancing steadily towards
greater growth and prosperity. These positive indicators highlight the strength of our aviation
infrastructure and the effectiveness of integrated efforts by all our partners — including airports,
airlines, and air navigation service providers."

Al Suwaidi added, “We are proud to continue achieving stable growth rates in both passenger

and cargo traffic, supported by ambitious development projects to keep pace with this
expansion. The total passenger handling capacity of the country’s airports now exceeds 160
million, and we are confident that the aviation sector will continue to play a pivotal role in
supporting the national economy, boosting tourism and trade, and reinforcing the UAE’s position
as a leading air transport hub regionally and globally.”

In detail, air traffic in the UAE continued its growth during the first half of the current year,

recording 531,000 movements — a 6.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year,
which saw nearly 500,000 movements. Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Mumbai, and Bahrain ranked
as the top five busiest destinations in terms of weekly flights to and from the UAE.

Regarding air cargo, the total volume handled across the country’s airports exceeded 2.2 million
tons, marking a 4.74 percent growth compared to the same period last year, with national

carriers accounting for 67 percent of the total cargo traffic.

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