Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest international travel hub, is projected to handle nearly 100 million passengers in 2026, its operator said on Wednesday, following record traffic levels in 2025.
Dubai Airports expects passenger numbers to reach 99.5 million this year as travel demand strengthens across key global markets.
DXB processed 95.2 million passengers in 2025, marking a 3.1% increase from 2024. India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom remained its largest source markets, whilst China, Egypt, and Italy recorded double-digit passenger growth.
Dubai, known for landmarks such as the world’s tallest skyscraper and its palm-shaped artificial islands, serves as the Middle East’s leading tourism and trade centre. The city is also a major transit hub connecting flights between Europe and Asia and welcomed 19.6 million international overnight visitors last year, according to government data.
Dubai Airports said DXB reached record highs for daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual traffic in 2025, operating near its physical capacity whilst maintaining strong operational performance.
To accommodate growing demand and population expansion, Dubai has announced a $35 billion development of its second airport, Al Maktoum International, also managed by Dubai Airports.
The expansion aims to enable the airport to handle 150 million passengers annually within the next decade, eventually increasing capacity to 260 million passengers per year once fully completed.
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