Emirates airline to invest $12 billion in DWC airport, Sheikh Ahmed says

Emirates airline is to invest up to $12 billion in its future home at the new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

The airline will spend billions on infrastructure, including catering facilities and aircraft hangars, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said at a media event on Tuesday at Dubai Airshow.

The $35 billion airport terminal at DWC is under construction and the first phase is expected to be finished by 2032 with a capacity to handle 150 million passengers a year. Once fully completed, the airport is set to reach a capacity of 260 million annual passengers.

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Dubai International Airport, Emirates airline's current home base, is expected to handle 95.3 million passengers by the end of this year and reach the 100 million mark in the next 18 months, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said in October.

Sheikh Ahmed's comments came after UK Export Finance (UKEF) on Tuesday issued an expression of interest for up to $3.5 billion in funding for the expansion of DWC.

UKEF is a government department and the nation’s export credit agency, which partners with private sector finance providers to grow UK exports and international trade.

The announcement, made during a ceremony at Dubai Airshow, marks the first international expression of interest in the mega-project.

Commenting on how the $3.5 billion funding from the UK government will be used, Sheikh Ahmed said: “When we talk about Al Maktoum International, it’s much more than that."

"So that [today’s announcement] will be a drop in the ocean, but it is welcome to see such governments to be really pushing for their company to be there and to be part of Dubai’s success."

The UAE and UK have a long-standing trade and economic partnership.

"Al Maktoum International Airport is set to redefine the future of global aviation, creating significant opportunities for British suppliers to showcase their cutting-edge capabilities," Chris Bryant, UK minister of trade, said in a statement.

The project is being delivered through a structured programme that entails "advanced engineering, resilient design and long-term planning", Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation said.

Series information

Pakistan v Dubai

First Test, Dubai International Stadium

Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11

Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20

Play starts at 10am each day

Teams

Pakistan

1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza

Australia

1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland

While you're here

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Mustafa Alrawi: To get the 'jab' done, governments must show patience and empathy

Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.