Emirates has officially broken ground on its brand-new 5.1 billion USD engineering complex at Dubai South.
The new site is expected to become the world’s most modern and advanced maintenance, repairs and overhaul facility.
Being delivered by the China Railway Construction Corporation and Artelia; a groundbreaking ceremony was held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group, Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, His Excellency Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South and Dai Hegen, Chairman, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group said:Today’s groundbreaking for the US$ 5.1 billion engineering facility is a strategic step forward in Dubai’s future-focused aviation ambitions.
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.
This latest investment also aligns directly with Dubai Economic Agenda D33, reinforcing Dubai's position as a global economic hub and centre of aviation excellence, and lays the foundations for the next chapter of growth for Dubai, the UAE and the wider MRO industry.
Set to span 1.1 million square metres; the facility will feature the world’s only hangar complex capable of simultaneously servicing 28 wide-body aircraft and two painting hangars.
Notable features of the mega-facility will include the largest free-span hangar in the world at a width of 285 metres; the largest dedicated landing gear workshop in the world; 77,000 square metres of dedicated workshop space for repairs and maintenance; 380,000 square metres of storage and logistics capacity; and two paint hangars to service Emirates’ fleet of wide-body aircraft with extended capacity to also handle narrow body aircraft.
The technical facilities will be supported by a dedicated administrative building for Emirates Engineering, which will provide 50,000 square metres of office space and 15,000 square metres of training facilities, as well as a gateway facility controlling airside access.
In all, the engineering complex at Dubai South is expected to set new benchmarks for sustainability with all project facilities targeting a LEED Platinum rating and solar panels installed on the roofs across the complex.
Construction of the mega-facility is expected to be completed by the middle of 2030, with the hangar complex initially beginning to service aircraft requiring heavy maintenance and spillover projects from the Emirates Engineering Centre at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
