Emirates on Monday broke ground on a new maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility that is expected to be among the world’s largest buildings by volume.
The $5.1 billion facility is being constructed at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. Beijing-based China Railway Construction Corporation, among the largest construction and engineering firms in the world, is handling the buildout, with French company Artelia serving as a consultant.
Once finished, the building will cover 1.1 million square meters, or about 11,840,301 square feet, making it the largest aviation engineering facility in the world and the largest steel structure in the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. Its hangar complex will be able to service 28 widebody aircraft simultaneously – a record for commercial MRO sites – with an additional two hangars for painting.
The installation will also have the largest dedicated landing gear workshop in the world, according to the airline.
“The new facility strengthens Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production, and specialist capabilities under one roof, while positioning the airline to serve as a strategic engineering partner for the future requirements of the regional and global aviation industry,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Emirates also plans to put up new offices and a training center close to the MRO building.
The development is taking shape in Dubai South, a master-planned community built around Al Maktoum airport. The city houses numerous logistics, cargo, MRO, and business aviation companies, in addition to residential districts and a “free zone” set aside for foreign business interests.
Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2030. The hangar complex will initially handle heavy maintenance and spillover projects from Emirates’ operations at Dubai International Airport, officials said.
