Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
June 08, 2023
When Dubai International Airport first opened, in 1960, it was little more than a sandy airstrip with a small terminal building, a fire station and a control tower. Today, after decades of expansion, DXB is the busiest airport in the world. In a world rebounding from pandemic-era paralysis, its three passenger terminals and concourses, two cargo “mega-terminals”, expo centre, maintenance hub and metro stations are bustling.
And soon, the emirate’s aviation stakeholders expect, they will be brimming. The airport is nearing capacity, with 80 per cent of its runway slots in use. Its operator, state-owned Dubai Airports, forecasts it will accommodate 90 per cent of its 100-million-passenger capacity this year.
Physical expansion, at this stage, is difficult. DXB’s prime location in northern Dubai’s heavily populated urban core is a reason for its success, but has now also become a constraint for any plans to build outwards.
Technology could go some way towards solving the problem. At this year’s International Air Transport Association (Iata) meeting in Istanbul, Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports’ chief executive, told The National that investments in biometric technology could raise capacity by a further 20 million passengers.
But Dubai’s immense popularity – as a tourism destination, commercial hub and place of residence – shows little sign of abating, raising expectations that, eventually, the emirate will need to outgrow its reliance on DXB.
All of this, to some extent, was foreseen more than a decade ago. In 2010, Dubai opened its second international airport, Al Maktoum International (DWC), located in the emirate’s southern Jebel Ali area, and aviation industry watchers believe it is about to come into its own. Authorities recently approved ambitious plans to redevelop the neighbourhood, building up the Palm Jebel Ali (a twin to the famed Palm Jumeirah) to accommodate 35,000 families.
The Dubai government, Dubai Airports and local airlines are in discussions over how to proceed with expansion of DWC, part of a $33 billion plan set out in 2014 to eventually transform it from a six-runway facility into one of the world’s biggest airports. Enlarging the airport and giving it a more prominent place in Dubai’s aviation landscape is “definitely needed”, Mr Griffiths says, but the timeline remains up in the air.
Firming up a schedule requires nailing down the projected needs of Emirates, flydubai and other airlines, and evaluating what is the most affordable path for addressing short-term needs. While DWC operates a busy schedule of flights, it lacks the facilities of DXB, meaning new investment will need to be comprehensive and carefully considered.
The dividends of such an investment, however, are likely to be high. Emirates is already the world’s biggest long-haul airline company, but it is expanding its fleet further in anticipation of growing demand. The company enjoyed record profits in the latest financial year, leading to generous bonuses to all of its staff.
Given that level of success, airport expansion is not only prudent, but necessary.
“We are in the market for buying quite a few more aircraft,” Emirates’ president, Tim Clark, told journalists at the Iata meeting in Istanbul. They will need to be housed somewhere.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah 5.10pm: Continous 5.45pm: Raging Torrent 6.20pm: West Acre 7pm: Flood Zone 7.40pm: Straight No Chaser 8.15pm: Romantic Warrior 8.50pm: Calandogan 9.30pm: Forever Young
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
