Emirates has begun construction on a US$5.1 billion engineering complex at Dubai South, a project the airline says will become the world’s most advanced maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility.

The development marks a major expansion of Dubai’s aviation infrastructure and is intended to strengthen Emirates Engineering’s in-house maintenance and technical capabilities. The facility is scheduled for completion by mid-2030.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline; Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South; and Dai Hegen, Chairman of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.

The project will be built by China Railway Construction Corporation, with Artelia serving as project consultant.

According to Emirates, the engineering complex will cover 1.1 million square metres, making it one of the world’s largest buildings by volume and the largest steel structure in the Gulf region. The facility will include hangars capable of servicing 28 wide-body aircraft simultaneously, along with two aircraft paint hangars.

Other planned features include a 285-metre free-span hangar, a dedicated landing gear workshop, 77,000 square metres of repair and maintenance workshop space, and 380,000 square metres allocated for storage and logistics operations.

The site will also include administrative offices, training facilities and controlled airside access infrastructure.

Emirates said the project aligns with Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33 and is designed to support the future growth of the regional and global aviation sector. Dubai South officials said the facility would contribute to the development of the aviation ecosystem surrounding Al Maktoum International Airport, which is expected to become the world’s largest airport upon completion.

The company also stated that the complex is targeting LEED Platinum certification, with sustainability measures including rooftop solar panel installations across the site.

Initially, the new hangars will handle heavy maintenance operations and overflow work from Emirates Engineering’s existing facilities at Dubai International Airport.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Andrew Shelepnytsky

Andrew Shelepnytsky is an Editor of Dubai Voice.