Emirates Airline has officially broken ground on a massive $5.1-billion engineering complex in Dubai South that is expected to create thousands of jobs and become one of the world’s largest aircraft maintenance and overhaul facilities.
In a report on Gulf News, the project, valued at Dh18.7 billion, will span 1.1 million square meters and is designed to support aircraft maintenance, repainting, cabin retrofits, and passenger-to-cargo conversions.
Emirates Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer Adel Al Redha said the project would generate significant employment opportunities across multiple industries and skill levels once completed by mid-2030.
“The facility of this scale will attract more jobs locally and internationally at different levels and different skills,” Al Redha said. “We’re talking about professionals in engineering, maintenance activities and mechanics, administrators and so on.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, along with senior aviation and Dubai South officials.
According to Emirates, the facility will be capable of servicing 28 wide-body aircraft simultaneously and will include the world’s largest free-span aircraft hangar at 285 meters wide.
The complex will also feature dedicated aircraft painting hangars, maintenance workshops, logistics and storage facilities, training centers, and office spaces for Emirates Engineering operations.
Sheikh Ahmed described the investment as a “strategic step forward” for Dubai’s aviation ambitions and Emirates’ long-term engineering capabilities.
“The new facility strengthens Emirates Engineering’s vertical integration strategy by bringing more skills, infrastructure, parts production, and specialist capabilities under one roof,” Sheikh Ahmed said.
The airline said the project aligns with Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda and the continued expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, which is expected to become the world’s largest airport once completed.
