Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, has announced that Dubai World Central (DWC), a purpose-built residential and commercial complex surrounding Al Maktoum International Airport, will be renamed Dubai South.
Dubai South is a 145km2 (66mi2) aertropolis built to surround Al Maktoum International Airport, which is intended to eventually replace Dubai International Airport.
Al Maktoum began commercial operations in October 2013 and has the initial capacity to handle six million passengers annually. This will be increased to 26 million passengers by 2017 and increased even further to handle 200 million passengers as part of a US$32bn project to build the largest airport in the world.
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman for Dubai Aviation City Corporation, the project operator, said, “Over the decades, Dubai’s leadership and its people have worked together to transform the emirate into one of the world’s most desirable destinations. A vibrant economy, excellent roads, landmark buildings, and attractive recreational facilities are outstanding accomplishments we are proud of – but they are simply the means to a higher end, which is to facilitate the happiness of people.
“The Government of Dubai has been working to build a new destination – which we are naming today ‘Dubai South’ – where individuals can empower themselves to achieve their legitimate aspirations to the greater good of society. The name is iconic, and will become instantly recognizable for years to come. Dubai South is the emirate’s flagship urban project that will set benchmarks for the rest of the emirate in terms of manifesting the themes of happiness as set out in Dubai Plan 2021.”
