With the massive $4.1 billion expansion being executed by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), Dubai is well on its path to creating the region's first 'Airport City'.
With three terminals, two concourses, a mega cargo terminal, a large duty free, a five-star hotel, a flower centre, a large expo facility and a free zone, DCA is creating a huge airport community inside the city of Dubai, said officials at the two-day 'Creating Airport Cities' conference which started yesterday.
The activities of airports these days are not restricted to passenger and baggage handling. The boundary of an airport doesn't end at the fences, speakers said.
Airports today represent big business, employ thousands of professionals and help a city or community to generate wealth. In this context, Dubai International Airport is heading towards the right direction, they said.
"Today, the aviation industry has grown to include many diverse aspects. Airports themselves are not just functional areas where aircraft land and take off," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of DCA and chairman of Emirates Group.
"Airports represent big business and require clear strategies and precise business sense. With increased globalisation, rules of industrial competition and business location have changed drastically.
"International gateway airports are driving and shaping urban development, giving rise to the emerging 'Airport Cities' which are now dealing with issues more than just aviation - issues such as real estate, retailing, cargo handling, hotels, entertainment centres, logistics, e-commerce, warehousing and finance."
Explaining the development of Dubai International Airport, Anita Mehra Homayoun, DCA director for Marketing and Corporate Communications, said: "The ongoing development of the airport is in line with Dubai government's overall vision to serve 15 million tourists annually by 2010. We are well on course in realising the government's vision and the new facilities will cater to a growing number of visitors to the city."
She said that out of the 16 million passengers who used Dubai, only six per cent were transit, the rest travelled in and out of the city.
"This demonstrates that Dubai has become a destination rather than being a transit point. People do come, stay and spend their time and money here.," she said.
"Over the years, we have managed to transform the city from being a transit point to a destination where the government is investing heavily to create new leisure, entertainment and sports facilities. Besides, the world-class events like Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Open and Dubai World Cup have made the city a year-round destination.
"Together with the overall development of the airport infrastructure, terminals, concourses, Dubai Cargo Village expansion, Dubai International Airport Hotel, Dubai Duty Free, Airport Expo, Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafz), we are creating a city within a city an airport city."
Gulf News 2003
