Page 289 - SHARJAH AIRPORT PR REPORT - FEBRUARY 2024

2/21/24, 10:51 AM Middle East airports expanding in a fast-forward mode to handle zooming passenger numbers
US$151 billion is required for ME airport capacity expansion

Global airport construction market to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2030

ME to be the world’s fastest-growing aviation market by 2033

The region has 110 commercial airports and 69 operating carriers

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 20, 2024: With the civil aviation industry almost fully recovered
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after the steepest fall in passenger numbers due to the 21 century’s second pandemic, airports across the world
are bracing themselves to handle a big boom in air travel until 2030 by going in for expansions and
redevelopments.

The Middle East Aviation Market, valued at US$60 billion in 2023, is predicted to rise substantially until 2030.
Air connectivity in the Middle East had seen a 26 percent-plus growth in 2022 as compared with 2019.

The Middle East airports are set to handle 1.1 billion passengers by 2040, more than double the 2019 figure of
405 million passengers. They will be required to invest around US$151 billion in capacity expansion. The
region, with over 110 airports, is among the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world.

Airport developers, officials, and suppliers from across the world will come to Dubai in mid-May 2024 to
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participate in the world’s largest annual event dedicated to the global airports industry. The 23 edition of the
three-day B2B event at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the Middle East’s leading exhibition and
convention venue, will have more than 150 exhibitors from more than 20 countries and 7,500 visitors from over
30 countries attending. The Airport Show will have co-located events – ATC Forum, Airport Security Middle
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East, and the 11 edition of the Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF).

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman
of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Patron of Airport Show
said: “The business event will provide the industry professionals from Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
region, the opportunity to see innovations in airport sustainability, digitalization, and urban air mobility.”

He added: “Airport Show will remain the best venue to select and source the cutting-edge technologies and
newest innovative products to better the airport operations.”

Organized by RX, part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools that
organizes about 400 events in 22 countries across 42 industry sectors, the show is supported by prominent
players in the aviation industry, including the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Dubai
Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), and dnata.

Remarked May Ismail, Event Manager at RX: “The airport industry will be back to full business when we meet
in 2024. The pace of growth and expansion that was halted is back at a phenomenal rate. The projects that took
off again clearly suggest there is no end to expansion and growth. What had been put on the back burner is now
in the front.”

According to a CAPA report, 425 major construction projects were on at existing airports worldwide, with
US$450 billion in investments. There were 225 new airport projects and more than 70 percent of the investment
was in Asia Pacific. There were 1074 airport investors, of which 258 were airport operators, groups or
consortiums. About 68 percent of all projects were based on terminals, either expansions or new developments.

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